EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 8/27/2012 1:00:00 AM

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Men News

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  ADRIATIC LEAGUE   



Youngster Djoko Salic practicing with Partizan Belgrade - by Rado Markovic Hribernik

Young center from KK Spars Sarajevo Djoko Salic (208-C-95) has joined BC Partizan MT:S Beograd training camp, and will practice with the Belgrade team for a while. He is a member of Serbian U18 team and has played well at the previous U18 continental championship in Lithuania.

As his agent confirmed, it was arranged some time ago, that Salic will train in Belgrade in the weeks before the start of the Basketball Without Borders NBA Camp, which he will attend from September 13TH to 16TH. As BC Partizan MT:S Beograd cancelled the Australian preparation tourney, they stayed in Belgrade and offered Salic to train with their team, where he will for sure gain some valuable experience and knowledge.

Salic comes from Sarajevo club KK Spars Sarajevo, which is well known for it's excellent work with young players. Just to mention, it is the only club, which will have as much as 3 players on BWB Camp, Djoko Salic (208-C-95), Aleksej Nikolic (185-G-95) and Nermin Buza (205-F/C-91).

For now, Salic will not join the senior team of BC Partizan MT:S Beograd, while they have enough competition on the position 5, with all young centers Djordje Gagic (210-C-90, agency: Interperformances), Nemanja Besovic (221-C-92), Dejan Musli (212-C-91, agency: Beo Basket) and Nikola Milutinov (212-C-94) having a signed contract, and also Matias Bartolin, youngster from Argentina and Maltese youngster Samuel Deguara (223-C-91) on trial. He will join the senior team of KK Spars Sarajevo in the coming season. The team will compete in the Bosnian D1.



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  ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U18   


China defend their title in Ulaanbaatar - by Eurobasket News

FINAL
China - South Korea 93-91
China repeated as U18 Asia Championship winners. They overcame South Korea in the dramatic Final to claim the trophy. Gao Shang (198-F/G-94) knocked down a winning jumper with four seconds to go in regulation and China celebrated Gold. Wang Zhelin (215-C/F-94) finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds to pace the winning side. South Korea led by two points 26:24 ten minutes into the game. China denied the deficit and pulled ahead in the second quarter. They accumulated a 47:44 halftime advantage. South Korea returned the lead in the third term. They went on a 16:5 run late in the third quarter to gain a 71:61 advantage. South Korea were up by five points 89:84 with just over two minutes remaining. Wang Zhelin put China within one 88:89 with 39 seconds to go. Lee Jong-Hyun (206-C-94) sank two free throws but Wang Zhelin drained a triple to level things up at 91. Then Gao Shang took the floor. His late jumper put China in front and South Korea simply had no time for the answer. Gao Shang accounted for 28 points and 9 rebounds for China. Dai Huaibo added 18 points in the victory. Lee Jong-Hyun answered with 24 points and 7 rebounds for South Korea. Choi Jun-Yong added 21 points in the loss.
3-4 Place
Japan - Iran 83-87
Iran stepped onto the pedestal at U18 Asia Championship. They defeated Japan to clinch Bronze medals. Sajjad Mashayekhi (180-PG-94) came up with a triple-double of 26 points, 12 assists and 11 boards to pace Iran. Iran stormed into the game. They exploded with 31 points in the opening quarter posting a 17-point lead. However Japan were not intimidated by such a start. They responded with 32-point spree in the second quarter to cut the deficit to just three points at halftime 46:49. Iran kept Japan at distance throughout the third term. They established a 7-point lead at the final intermission. Yuta Watanabe, Baba and Mori pulled Japan within just two points 83:85 with 26 seconds remaining in regulation. But Dalirzahan sank two free throws in the dying seconds to seal the victory for Iran. Behnam Yakhchali (191-G-95) finished with 24 points, while Saleh Foroutannik added 21 points for the winners. Masahiro Narita (185-SF-94) answered with 25 points for Japan. Yuta Watanabe had 23 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

5-6 Place
Philippines - Taiwan 85-89
Taiwan clinches 5th place in Ulaanbaatar of the 22nd Asia U18 Championship. The team outscored Philippines 89:85 in the game for the 5-6 places. It was the last game for both teams and they both tried hard to finish on a higher place. At first Taiwan won the first period 22-20, but then Philippines produced 14-13 in the second quarter. Taiwan had 25-14 in the third period for 12-point advantage with 10 minutes to go, however Philippines played tough until the end. They erupted with 37-29 surge in the last stanza and managed to reduce to final 4 points. Fang Shih-En (199-C-94) top-scored for the winners with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Lin Kuan-Chun (184-G-95) collected 17 points and 10 rebounds. Wang Chih-Chun notched 16 and Lu Kuan-Hsuan brought 10. Rodolfo Alejandro (180-G-95) replied with 22 points in the losing effort and Bonleon Mario as well as Pingoy Jerie poured in 15 each. Nambatac Rey delivered 7 in the losing case.

7-8 Place
Lebanon - Saudi Arabia 89-78
Lebanon ended up on the 7th place at the 22nd Asia U18 Championship. The team overcame Saudi Arabia U18 89:78 in the first game of the Final Day. Lebanon started the game with 21-16, but Saudi Arabia replied with 22-15 in the second frame to take the lead at the halftime. Only due to the second half the Lebanese team managed to seal the victory. They produced 26-14 in the third period and finished the game with 27-26. Wael Arakji (192-G-94) made the last two free throws for the final success. Wael Arakji top-scored for the winners with 31 points, while Hanna Nemer (177-G-94) and Elie Chamoun (193-F-94) posted 16 each. Mezher Ali followed them with 9 points in a win. Waheed Faqihi (185-F-94) and Nassir Abojalas (195-F-94) finished the game with 19 points each. Mohammed Safwan notched 14, whilst Alhosawe Mohammed and Bafarat Asslam had 10 each.


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  AUSTRALIA   


Taipans sign import Shane Edwards - by Hugh McAuliffe

The Skytrans Cairns Taipans are pleased to announce the completion of the 2012/13 contracted playing roster, with the signing of 25 year-old, American Power Forward, Shane Edwards (201-F-87, college: UALR).

Edwards, 201cm and 100kg, has had a notable college and pro-career, and will add depth and athleticism to the Taipans front court, along side Alex Loughton, Dusty Rychart and Cam Tragardh.

Edwards attended the University of Arkansas Little Rock from 2007-09, finishing his senior year as Sun Belt West Division, regular season champs. In his final year with Arkansas, Edwards averaged 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and was named NABC Division 1 All-District 24 First Team and All-Sun Belt 1st Team.

Since graduating from college, Edwards spent his first two seasons in the NBA Development League before heading to Italy for a short stint with Tezenis Verona.

In his first season in the D-League with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds he averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds over 39 games and was ranked third overall in the league for field goal percentage, shooting 62.7 percent from the field.

He then spent the 2010-11 pre-season with the Denver Nuggets (NBA) before signing with the New Mexico Thunderbirds (NBA D-League). In 45 games with the Thunderbirds, Edwards averaged 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He was named in the NBA D-League Western Conference All-Star Team, and also received All-D-League Honorable Mention accolades, at seasons end.

Over the course of 2011, Edward also had work outs with the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.

Described as a long athletic, mobile forward, with a solid inside game, Edwards also has the ability to stretch the floor by being able to knock down the open shot all of which were attractive qualities for head coach, Aaron Fearne.

Ive been following Shanes progress for a few years now, Fearne said.

The development in his skill package has been impressive and I look forward to him adding that to our group.

He will add length, mobility and athleticism to our front court, which will compliment the skill packages of the big men we already have in our roster.

Edwards will wear singlet #0 and is expected to arrive in Cairns on the 30th of August, before traveling with the team to Tamworth to take on the Sydney Kings in a pre-season match. Taipans fans will get their first look at Edwards when the Snakes host the Perth Wildcats on Friday 14 August.


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  BALTIC LEAGUE   


Gediminas Maceina is set to join Pieno Zvaigzdes - by Eurobasket News (T)

Pieno Zvaigzdes are close to landing Gediminas Maceina (188-PG-84). The sides are about to reach an agreement on terms of contract. Gediminas Maceina spent the previous season with Juventus Utenos. The guard notched 7.9 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds per game in LKL. In Baltic League Gediminas Maceina posted 6.8 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds per appearance. Eurobasket.com gave the guard All-Baltic League Honourable Mention. Previously Gediminas Maceina had stints with Panevezys, Rudupis, Siauliai, Barons/LMT Riga, Nevezis and Zalgiris. He made it into All-Lithuanian LKL 2nd Team in 2006. The season before Gediminas Maceina was named into LKL All-Newcomers Team. He was the member of U18 Lithuanian National Team. The guard also played for Lithuanian National Team in 2006.


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  BELGIUM   


Monteiro starts his pro career at Belgacom Liege Basket - by Greg (T)

Belgacom Liege Basket added to their roster 22-year old American swingman B.J. Monteiro (195-90). Monteiro played most recently at University of Duquesne (NCAA). While playing 28 games for Duquesne last season he averaged 15.0ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1spg and 1.0bpg.

By Eurobasket Data Center


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  BRAZIL   


Ceara State team sign Edu and Romulo - by Paulo Freire (T)

The newest NBB team Ceara State lead by head coach Alberto Bial has been invited to play a tournament in China as a preparation for the NBB season.
Looking to improve their new roster the managers worked on the market and sign two new players Edu de Oliveira (195-G/F-83, college: E.Oklahoma St. JC) and Romulo Vieira (192-F/C-92).
The guard Edu comes in from Araraquara team, the experience player have been around in many teams from Sao Paulo State such as Paulistano and Limeira.
The young Romulo Vieira comes in from Fluminense team from Rio de Janeiro, he was born in the north of Brazil and will be connect to fans.


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  CHINA   


China Rallies to Defeat Korea 93-91 in Asia U-18 - by Arthur Volbert

Trailing 74-61 with less than 10 minutes left China rallied to defeat Korea 93-91 in the FIBA Asia U-18 Championship.

Gao Shang hit a shot with 4 seconds left to gain the victory. Wang Zhelin (215-C/F-94) hit a three-point shot with 17 seconds left to tie the game at 91-91. This team triumphed in the clutch against a tall and talented Korean team but the test is how they will fare against the rest of the World next year.

Korea's center is 206 cm Lee Jonghyun and their forwards are 202 cm Kang Songjae and 200 cm Choi Junyong, Lee had 24 points and 7 rebounds, hitting 10 of 12 shots. Choi had 21 points and 7 rebounds, Kang scored 14. Star 187 cm guard Cheon Gibeon had 14 points and 9 assists. 181 cm guard Heo Hoon had 9 points and 3 assists. This team may win some games at next year's world tournament.

Wang Zhelin led China with 30 points and 13 rebounds. He hit 14 of 17 shots. Gao Shang had 28 points and 9 rebounds, hitting 13 of 25 though he missed all 5 of his three-point shots. Dai Huaibo had 18 points and 5 rebounds, hitting 6 of 9 shots and 6 of 8 free throws. Luo Hanchen had 9 points and 4 assists. China outrebounded Korea 40-25 but had 15 turnovers to 10 for Korea.

Korea led 26-24 after one quarter but China led 47-44 at the half. Korea outscored China 27-14 in the third quarter to take a 71-61 lead. But China outscored Korea 32-20 in the fourth quarter to win the game.

Zhou Qi played 15 minutes ahd had 4 points and 4 rebounds. He still is not quite integrated into the offense but showed his prowess in defense and rebounding. Han Delong was scoreless in 9 minutes and still shows effects of his foot injury.

Iran defeated Japan 87-83 for third place and the last spot in the world tournament. Chinese Taipei defeated the Philippines 89-85 for fifth place and Lebanon defeated Saudi Arabia 89-78 for seventh.

Link to box score:
http://www.fibaasia.net/UserImages/BSF01201282665022.PDF


U18 Championship: Shang Gao lifts China to the trophy - by Eurobasket News

China U18 - South Korea U18 93:91

China repeated as U18 Asia Championship winners. They overcame South Korea in the dramatic Final to claim the trophy. Gao Shang (198-F/G-94) knocked down a winning jumper with four seconds to go in regulation and China celebrated Gold. Wang Zhelin (215-C/F-94) finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds to pace the winning side.
South Korea led by two points 26:24 ten minutes into the game. China denied the deficit and pulled ahead in the second quarter. They accumulated a 47:44 halftime advantage. South Korea returned the lead in the third term. They went on a 16:5 run late in the third quarter to gain a 71:61 advantage. South Korea were up by five points 89:84 with just over two minutes remaining. Wang Zhelin put China within one 88:89 with 39 seconds to go. Lee Jong-Hyun (206-C-94) sank two free throws but Wang Zhelin drained a triple to level things up at 91. Then Gao Shang took the floor. His late jumper put China in front and South Korea simply had no time for the answer. Gao Shang accounted for 28 points and 9 rebounds for China. Dai Huaibo (205-C/F-94) added 18 points in the victory. Lee Jong-Hyun answered with 24 points and 7 rebounds for South Korea. Choi Jun-Yong (200-F-94) added 21 points in the loss.

China U18: Wang Zhelin 30+13 boards, Gao Shang 28, Dai Huaibo 18
South Korea U18: Lee Jong-Hyun 24, Choi Jun-Yong 21


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  CROATIA   


Cedevita lands Mickael Gelabale - by Eurobasket News (T)

Cedevita reinforced its roster with French forward Mickael Gelabale (201-SF-83, agency: Court Side). He played last season for Khimky Moscow Region averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds for 12 Russian league games. He also added 4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 1.5 apg for 6 games in EuroCup. Gelabale appeared in 7 VTB United League games for the club registering 3.6 ppg and 2.4 rpg. Before Khimky, he was a member of ASVEL and Cholet. With Cholet he won the ProA title two years ago. Mickael Gelabale already cooperated with new Cedevita's coach Bozidar Maljkovic in the past. They won the Spanish league title with Real Madrid in 2005. Mickael Gelabale played for the French National Team at the Olympic Games in London this summer. He had 7.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg for 6 games at this event. Last summer, Gelabale helped France to win the Silver at EuroBasket in Lithuania. There he had 7.3 ppg and 1.8 rpg for 9 appearances.


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  DOMINICAN REPUBLIC   


Monteiro starts his pro career at Belgacom Liege Basket - by Greg (T)

Belgacom Liege Basket added to their roster 22-year old American swingman B.J. Monteiro (195-90). Monteiro played most recently at University of Duquesne (NCAA). While playing 28 games for Duquesne last season he averaged 15.0ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.2apg, 1.1spg and 1.0bpg.

By Eurobasket Data Center


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  EGYPT   


Make it pro - by Khaled El Saied

I am optimistic about the new management I spoke to one of the board members today and discussed some issues with him about import players and setting some rules for the kind of players that clubs bring down here for example there must be minimum salary and experience in order to control the clubs not letting them register any one from any where just to fill the space also I proposed that we have 2 players in each team instead of 1 player that way the league will be much better and competition will be more tough any way that was a thought.


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  EUROCUP   


Greek Loukas Mavrokefalidis continue with Spartak St.Petersburg - by Eurobasket News (T)

Greek Loukas Mavrokefalidis (209-C-84) continue with Spartak St.Petersburg this season. The player joined the team last season and is happy to enter his second year in Russia.
In 2009-2010 he played for Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece, A1) and in Euroleague averaged 5.4ppg, 2.3rpg, FGP: 63.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 56.0%. In Greek League his stats read 6.9ppg, 2.5rpg, FGP: 62.8%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 85.7%. In 2010-2011 for Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (A1, starting five) he showed 8.4ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 16.7%, FT: 79.4% in Euroleague and in Greek League had 9.8ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 55.2%, FT: 80.8%.
In 2011-2012 Loukas Mavrokefalidis moved to Spartak St.Petersburg (Russia-PBL) and averaged 10.6ppg, 4.1rpg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 80.6% in Russian League. In EuroCup his stats read 11.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 41.7%, FT: 68.6%, while in VTB League he showed 11.1ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT-1 (95.5%).
Together with Spartak he reached Eurocup Semifinals -12 and VTB United League Quarterfinals -12.


VALENCIA BASKET completes roster with Pietrus - by Diamadis Farmakis

Valencia Basket closed its roster for the 2012-13 season with the re-signing of Florent Pietrus (202-F-81) to a one-year deal with an option to another. See Pietrus statistics and a small ''bio''.

Pietrus (2 02 meters, 31 years old) averaged 3,1 points and 3,2 rebounds in 32 Spanish League games last season and 5,4 points and 3,5 rebounds in 13 Eurocup games

Pietrus has played the last four seasons in Valencia since he arrived in 2008 except for a one-month stint at Caja Laboral at the beginning of 2010-11

He started as a pro player in Pau-Orthez of his native France in 1998 and played there until 2004, while the summer of that year he moved to Spain to join Unicaja Malaga, where he spent another three seasons, winning the Spanish League title in 2006. He spent one season in Estudiantes Madrid before joining Valencia in 2008, with which he won the Eurocup title in 2010.


26 national federations sue FIBA Europe in Court of Arbitration for Sport - by Eurobasket

Representatives from Russian and Lithuanian Basketball Federations have confirmed to media that 26 national federations have sued FIBA Europe in Court of Arbitration for Sport for not obeying its own statutes.

Following the firing of FIBA Europe General Secretary Nar Zanolin by the president of FIBA Europe Olafur Rafnsson, 26 national federations (28 according to Lithuanian media) requested to hold an emergency meeting of the General Assembly.

FIBA Europe has not held such meeting, even though the statutes dictate that if 15 or more federations request it, it has to be held within 60 days of the request.

Its believed that the purpose of such General Assembly would be to remove the president of FIBA Europe Olafur Rafnsson from his office.

Trial is expected to begin in October in Lausanne, Switzerland.


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  EUROLEAGUE   


Cedevita lands Mickael Gelabale - by Eurobasket News (T)

Cedevita reinforced its roster with French forward Mickael Gelabale (201-SF-83, agency: Court Side). He played last season for Khimky Moscow Region averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds for 12 Russian league games. He also added 4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg and 1.5 apg for 6 games in EuroCup. Gelabale appeared in 7 VTB United League games for the club registering 3.6 ppg and 2.4 rpg. Before Khimky, he was a member of ASVEL and Cholet. With Cholet he won the ProA title two years ago. Mickael Gelabale already cooperated with new Cedevita's coach Bozidar Maljkovic in the past. They won the Spanish league title with Real Madrid in 2005. Mickael Gelabale played for the French National Team at the Olympic Games in London this summer. He had 7.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg for 6 games at this event. Last summer, Gelabale helped France to win the Silver at EuroBasket in Lithuania. There he had 7.3 ppg and 1.8 rpg for 9 appearances.


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  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS   


26 national federations sue FIBA Europe in Court of Arbitration for Sport - by Eurobasket

Representatives from Russian and Lithuanian Basketball Federations have confirmed to media that 26 national federations have sued FIBA Europe in Court of Arbitration for Sport for not obeying its own statutes.

Following the firing of FIBA Europe General Secretary Nar Zanolin by the president of FIBA Europe Olafur Rafnsson, 26 national federations (28 according to Lithuanian media) requested to hold an emergency meeting of the General Assembly.

FIBA Europe has not held such meeting, even though the statutes dictate that if 15 or more federations request it, it has to be held within 60 days of the request.

Its believed that the purpose of such General Assembly would be to remove the president of FIBA Europe Olafur Rafnsson from his office.

Trial is expected to begin in October in Lausanne, Switzerland.


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  FRANCE   


Saturday preseason results - by Eurobasket News

The French teams started the second day of the preseason clashes. There were 5 games played last night where the French teams were involved.
Olympique Antibes (Pro B) won over W. Michigan U. (USA-NCAA) 88:58. Tim Blue (205-F-84, college: Middle Tenn.St.) top-scored for the winners with 19 points and Anthony Hilliard (193-G/F-86, college: Elizabeth City) notched 17. Nate Hutcheson and Austin Richie each a team-high with 11 points for the Broncos, while freshmen Connar Tava and Darius Paul recorded a team-high nine rebounds. Paul contributed nine points as well, and Brandon Pokley (193-G-90) scored nine points in the third European game of the year.
ASC Denain Voltaire (Pro B) outscored Gent Dragons from Belgium 83:55. JL Bourg-en-Bresse (Pro B) and Saint-Chamond Basket (NM1) finished the game with 82:82 result. Saint-Quentin BB (Pro B) beat Lievin Basket 62 (NM1) 72:57.
Earlier Vichy and Blois finished the game at 60:60. Justin Reynolds (204-F/C-88, college: Texas A&M-CC) top-scored for Vichy with 19 points and Guillaume Pons (198-G/F-79) posted 11. Kris Morlende (182-PG-79) ended up with 10 points for Blois.


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  GERMANY   


Boban Tomic joined Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels - by Eurobasket Center (T)

Slovenian guard Boban Tomic (190-G-88, agency: Alti Sport) joined the team of Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels which is on preparation camp in Slovenia. Promising guard has led team of Rogaska and contributed to teams advance form 1B to Telemach league in Slovenia. Boban was 3rd scorer of the league, averaged in 28 games - 15.8 ppg, 3.6 rig, 4.1 apg -and was 4th assistant of league and 1st in steals with 1.9spg. Earlier this month Boban received to play for Cypriot team of Apollon from Limassol but player decided to wait for more opportunities in continental leagues.


Magdeburg: Draegert and Neumann get contract extension - by Moritz Korff (T)

The Solarto Eagles Magdeburg (1. Regionalliga North) have extended the contracts of two German players for the 2012-13 season. Nico Draegert (207-C-90) and Felix Neumann (195-F) will continue to play for the Magdeburg team.
Draegert, a product of ALBA Berlin, scored 4.6 points per contest for the Eagles last season. He will enter his second season with Magdeburg. Neumann averaged 9.5 points a game during the 2011-12 campaign.


Brandon Hogg in Noerdlingen - by Moritz Korff (T)

Brandon Hogg (186-G-89) has joined the Giants Noerdlingen (2. Bundesliga Pro B). According to augsburger-allgemeine.de he scored 23 points in an exhibition game against ProA team Science City Jena this weekend. Hogg is a 23-year-old guard out of Edwardsville, Illinois, who spent his college career at NCAA Division 2 school Southern Indiana. He attended the 2012 NABC Division 2 All-Star Game and made the All-GLVC First Team. In the 2011-12 season Hogg had averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest for the Screaming Eagles.


Cuxhaven BasCats sign Scott Thomas - by Moritz Korff (T)

The Cuxhaven BasCats (2. Bundesliga Pro A) have signed Scott Thomas (200-F-89) for the 2012-13 season, the club unveiled today. Thomas graduated from Bowling Green State University (NCAA Division One) this spring. He was the Falcons' second leading scorer last season, averaging 12.3 points per contest. He also grabbed 6.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals a game.
The BasCats were looking for new forward, because Tyrone Bradshaw is currently suffering from an injury.


Justin Gray Joins Poitiers - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber (T)

A year ago Justin Gray (188-G-84, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Wake Forest) was ready to lead the Fraport Skyliners to another Beko BBL playoff appearance after their 5 game loss to Alba Berlin the season before in his first season, but instead when the playoffs started in May 2012, the Fraport Skyliners were not present, Justin Gray was already in the States after having left Frankfurt earlier to end the season in Greece. Gray was a force in the pre season for the Fraport Skyliners and in the first 8 games averaged 16.0ppg, 2.8rpg, 3.5apg, FGP: 41.8%, 3PT: 29.3%, FT: 93.9%. However an injury cut his season in Frankfurt short and before he could make his comeback was in uniform for Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas (Greece-A1) but only played 2 games averaging 4.0ppg, 2.0rpg, 1.0apg, 1.5spg as the team lost in the playoffs. Gray now can start over in the France PRO A, a league where he never has played for before. With Poitiers, he will be teammates with ex Beko BBL player Anthony Smith.


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  GREECE   


Olympiacos close to Kostas Charissis - by Eurobasket News (T)

Olympiacos are aiming to bolster their frontcourt. They have reportedly agreed on terms of contract with Kostas Charissis (211-F/C-79, agency: FCM, college: USC). The centre is not new to Olympiacos. He used to play for the team back in 2003/04 season. Last season Kostas Charissis spent with VAP Kolossos. He tallied 6.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in A1 League. Kostas Charissis participated at A1 League All-Star Games in 2009 and 2011. The centre was named into Greek A1 League All-Domestic Player Team in 2007. In 2006 Kostas Charissis made it into Greek A2 All-Defensive Team. The centre became A2 League champion in 2006.


Transfer news - by Chris Mammides (T)

A1 League
KAOD agreed financial terms with the American Louis Dale (180-G-88, college: Cornell) who spent his last two seasons in the German league with Goettingen
Panionios agreed financial terms with the experienced American Christopher Booker (208-F/C-81, college: Purdue)
Ikaros Kallitheas agreed financial terms with the experienced Greek center Lazaros Agadakos (208-C-80) Lazaros will continue for a second season in Ikaros Kallitheas as he was quite happy with the team.

A2 League
Ermis Lagkada renewed the contract of Savvas Iliadis (192-G-79) for another one season.
Nikos Kaklamanos (189-G-81) Tasos Charismidis (203-F-81) renewed their contract with Aiolos Trikalon for another one season
Niki Volou agreed financial terms with Giannis Maltesios (206-C-85) and Nikos Theodorakos (202-F-89)

Other news
Nikos Barlos (202-F-79) is tested by Caja Laboral Vitoria and if he "passes" the tests will be officially joining forces with the Spanish team


Paninios kept Batis and signed Kaselakis - by Giorgos Diploidis (T)

Marios Batis (188-G-80) signed a new contract for two years with the team of Panionios ON Telecoms Athens The experienced guard although he was heard for Olympiacos because his former coach Giorgos Bartzokas went there but he finally stayed in the club of Nea Smyrni. At the same time Ilias Lianos signed Leonidas Kaselakis (201-F-90) who was free from Ilysiakos.

Batis last season had 6.8ppg, 2.5rpg and 2.1apg in 22 matches while Kaselakis played in 24 and had 7.1ppg and 3.3rpg.


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  HUNGARY   


London Warren is back to the court - by Tamas Deri (T)

American playmaker London Warren (183-G-87, agency: TSS Management, college: Dayton) arrived yesterday to Budapest, where he might be the only one import player of the team of Obudai Kaszasok in the 2nd division. The 25 years old, 183 cm tall point guard had a solid NCAA carreer with the University of Dayton. He was voted into the Defensive Team of the very strong Atlantic 10 Conference as a junior and senior and helped the Flyers to win the NIT Championship in 2010. During the summer 2010 he signed with Dusseldorf in the German Bundesliga but had to leave the team in November after playing only 2 games with the Giants.

Here you can watch a short video about London's NCAA carreer and the NIT Champions - Dayton Flyers - in 2010:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=588593427110

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=544758418075


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  IRAN   


2012 William Jones Cup: Iran finish on high note - by Eurobasket News

Iran - Jordan 87:74

Iran claimed the sixth win at the William Jones Cup. They overcame Jordan to clinch the second position in the final ladder. Jordan fell at 2-6 record after the loss. Samad Nik Khahbahrami (198-F-83) provided 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists to pace the winners.
Jordan enjoyed a 19:18 lead after ten minutes. But Iran denied the deficit and pulled ahead for a 37:34 halftime lead. Iran stayed aggressive in the third term. They fired 25 points to ensure a 4-point lead at the final intermission. Iran accounted for 25 points in the fourth frame and sealed the victory at the end. Mousa Nabipour (212-C-83) posted 14 points, while Mahdi Kamrani (186-PG-82) added 13 points for the winning team. Rasheim Wright (192-G-81, college: District of Col.) and Wesam Al-Sous (183-PG-83) answered with 20 points each for Jordan.

Iran: Samad Nik Khahbahrami 30, Mousa Nabipour 14, Mahdi Kamrani 13
Jordan: Rasheim Wright 20, Wesam Al-Sous 20


U18 Championship: Iran topple Japan to clinch Bronze - by Eurobasket News

Iran U18 - Japan U18 87:83

Iran stepped onto the pedestal at U18 Asia Championship. They defeated Japan to clinch Bronze medals. Sajjad Mashayekhi (180-PG-94) came up with a triple-double of 26 points, 12 assists and 11 boards to pace Iran.
Iran stormed into the game. They exploded with 31 points in the opening quarter posting a 17-point lead. However Japan were not intimidated by such a start. They responded with 32-point spree in the second quarter to cut the deficit to just three points at halftime 46:49. Iran kept Japan at distance throughout the third term. They established a 7-point lead at the final intermission. Yuta Watanabe (200-SF-94), Baba and Mori pulled Japan within just two points 83:85 with 26 seconds remaining in regulation. But Dalirzahan sank two free throws in the dying seconds to seal the victory for Iran. Behnam Yakhchali (191-G-95) finished with 24 points, while Saleh Foroutannik (203-F/C-94) added 21 points for the winners. Masahiro Narita (185-SF-94) answered with 25 points for Japan. Yuta Watanabe had 23 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Iran U18: Sajjad Mashayekhi 26+12 assists+11 boards, Behnam Yakhchali 24, Saleh Foroutannik 21
Japan U18: Masahiro Narita 25, Yuta Watanabe 23


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  ISRAEL   


Hapoel Holon inks 1-year deal with former NBAer Luther Head - by Eurobasket News (T)

Luther Head (191-G-82, college: Illinois) will continue his career in Israel. The American guard signed a 1-year deal with Hapoel Holon. Head played 33 NBA games for the Sacramento Kings in 2010/11 season collecting 6.1 ppg, 2.1 apg and 1.8 rpg. The player missed last season. In 2009/10, Luther Head averaged 7.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 47 games with Indiana Pacers. Before that, the player had 4.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 2.3 apg for 9 games with Miami Heat, where he finished 2008/09. He started that season with the Houston Rockets, where he arrived in 2005. The Rockets selected Head as 24th overall pick at 2005 NBA Draft. In his second NBA season the player shined with 10.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 2.4 apg for 80 regular season games. Head graduated at the University of Illinois in 2005.

First to report about the news was Eurobasket's David Pick.


*****************************************************
  ITALY   


Bronco Defense Stifles Stella Azzurra in Win - by Eurobasket News

ROCCAPORENA, Italy - The Western Michigan men's basketball team held their opponents to a meager 32.7 percent day shooting from the field, and the Broncos defeated Stella Azzurra 78-64 in the second game of their European trip. With the win, the Broncos improve to 2-0 on the trip.
The Broncos forced 22 turnovers, including recording an impressive 12 steals, and didn't allow Stella Azzurra much room on the possessions in which they did put up a shot; Stella Azzurra shot just 17 of 52 from the field, including just six of 18 from three-point range. Conversely, the Broncos shot 26 of 55 (.473) from the field and saw six players reach double-digits in scoring. Like their game against Basket Fondi three days earlier, the Broncos controlled the glass against Stella Azzurra, notching a 42-27 rebounding advantage.

Sophomore Austin Richie led the Broncos with 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting and a 5 of 5 shooting performance from the free throw line. Nate Hutcheson (6'7''-F-90) reached 11 points for the game, and four players - Connar Tava, Shayne Whittington (6'10''-C-91), Darius Paul, and Taylor Perry - each scored 10 points.

Stella Azzurra led 17-16 after the first quarter, but the Broncos would quickly take the lead for good. With the Broncos trailing by two points early in the second period, Richie knocked down a jumper to tie the score at 20-20; just a few seconds later, Tava made one of two free throws to give the Broncos a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game. Richie would record a steal and take it the length of the court for a fast break lay-up at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter, and Nate Hutcheson maintained the slim lead with a baseline dunk at the 5:59 mark.

Paul would stretch the lead to five points with a steal and a fast break lay-up at the 4:44 mark, and Brandon Pokley would give the Broncos their largest lead of the half when he made a pair of free throws to make it 36-26 with 2:10 remaining in the second quarter, the culmination of an 11-3 run. Stella Azzurra would cut the lead to five points, but Jared Klein hit a pair of free throws before the half to give WMU a 38-31 lead at the break.

The Broncos dominated the beginning of the third quarter, when Whittington scored the first five points of the half to give the Broncos a 43-31 lead in just a minute of play. The lead swelled to 13 points when Hayden Hoerdemann (6'3''-G-93) dove to the ground for a loose ball and tossed it to Paul, who laid the ball in at the 5:33 mark.

Stella Azzurra would cut the lead to ten points at the end of the third quarter, but the Broncos would soon push the lead to new heights; Tava and Hutcheson recorded a pair of free throw makes on consecutive possessions to make it 69-53, and the Broncos would reach a 20-point lead when Richie made a pair at the 4:23 mark.

Perry hit a three-pointer at the 2:52 mark to maintain the 20-point lead, making it 78-58, and the Broncos would cruise down the stretch for the victory.
Courtesy of: www.wmubroncos.com


Broncos Control Glass in Win Over Basket Fondi - by Eurobasket News

Fondi, Italy - The Western Michigan men's basketball team dominated the glass in their first game against foreign competition, and the Broncos defeated Basket Fondi 87-78 on Monday. The Broncos are now 1-0 on their 2012 European trip, and will have Tuesday off before facing Stella Azzura on Wednesday.
The Broncos utilized a combination of solid shooting and dominant rebounding to drop their opponents, out-rebounding Basket Fondi 43-24 and knocking down 48.5 percent of their shots from the field. Freshman Darius Paul contributed seven points and a game-high seven rebounds, including three offensive boards; meanwhile, four different players reached double-digit scoring for the Broncos, including Jared Klein, who had a team-high 13 points.

Shayne Whittington finished just behind Klein with 12 points and also contributed five rebounds; Hayden Hoerdemann (6'3''-G-93) shot 3 of 6 from beyond the three-point arc for 11 points; and freshman Connar Tava had a solid debut with 10 points, seven rebounds, a block, and a steal.

Basket Fondi actually led after one quarter of play, but the Broncos would take their first lead on the very first possession of the second quarter. Freshman Kellen McCormick corralled a defensive rebound and shot it to Klein, who went coast to coast for the transition lay-up to give the Broncos an 18-17 lead. They tacked on to the lead just seconds later when A.J. Avery stole a pass on the next defensive possession and flipped it to Klein, who again scored the fast break lay-up to give WMU a three-point lead.

Basket Fondi would bounce back and take a four-point lead at the 6:34 mark of the second quarter, but the Broncos would kick off a 17-3 run to close the quarter and take a 40-30 lead into halftime. The run was sparked by solid free throw shooting; after Nate Hutcheson scored on a short jumper to cut the lead to two points, Austin Richie (6'2''-G-91) and Shayne Whittington each made a pair of free throws to take the 29-27 lead. Brandon Pokley (6'4''-G-90) would notch a three-pointer to make it 32-27, and the lead would swell to 10 points when Taylor Perry and Darius Paul scored fast break lay-ups on back-to-back possessions.

Klein would help the Broncos to their largest lead of the quarter early in the third, recording a pair of free throws to give WMU a 48-32 lead at the 8:13 mark of the third quarter. Avery would tie that lead for the Broncos at the 2:22 mark of the third stanza with a lay-up to make it 62-46 as the Broncos continued to control the tempo of the game.

The Broncos reached their high water mark in the fourth quarter, when Pokley drained a trey to make the score 79-58 early in the final period. Hayden Hoerdemann maintained the 20-point lead with a jumper at the 5:52 mark, and the Broncos cruised down the stretch to the victory.
Courtesy of: www.wmubroncos.com


Bruno Cerella pens deal with Varese - by Eurobasket News (T)

Bruno Cerella (194-G/F-86, agency: Players Group) pens deal with Varese for the upcoming season. The Argentinian-Italian Swingman comes from Banca Tercas Teramo. A powerful, hard-nosed player with great athletic skills, he puts a lot of energy on the court, defends well and can score a lot.
In 2010-2011 he played for Assigeco BPL Lodi (Italy-Lega2, starting five) and averaged 12.6ppg, 4.9rpg, 1.7apg, 2.4spg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 85.9%. In 2011-2012 he moved to Banca Tercas Teramo (Italy-SerieA, starting five) and showed 9.0ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.3apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 63.8%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 72.9%.
Earlier Bruno Cerella prolonged his contract with Banca Tercas Teramo till 2012. The 24-year-old shooting guard averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 boards per game in Seria A with the team in the first season. He moved to Banca Tercas in 2008 after a solid year in B1 League. There Bruno Cerella tallied 16.8 points, 5.5 boards and 1.8 assists per game for Potenza. Cerella was the part of Italian LNP U22 selection during the tournament in the USA and Canada in 2008.


Pallacanestro Cantu and Avellino start preseason friendlies - by Eurobasket News

Pallacanestro Cantu and Avellino start preseason friendlies over the International representatives.
Pallacanestro Cantu beat SAV Vacallo Basket 73:41. The Italian team won the first period 25-15 and added 18-14 in the second frame. They stormed past the Swiss side 15-5 in the third quarter and finished the game with 15-7 in the last stanza. Russian Unics Kazan outscored Sidigas Scandone Avellino 78:53. The Russian team grabbed 25-19 after the first period and led 41:29 at the halftime. Moreover the lead grew to 60:37 when the teams enter the last period. The final whistle showed the 25-point victory for the team from Kazan as both teams had a great start of the new preseason. Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) top-scored for the winners with 18 points and Kelly McCarty (201-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: S.Mississippi) added 14. Kamakoglu posted 10, while Chuck Eidson (202-F/G-80, agency: Court Side, college: S.Carolina) scored 9. Ndudi Ebi (206-F-84, agency: Higher Vision Sports) replied with 14 points in the losing effort and Richardson posted 11. Valerio Spinelli (185-PG-79) delivered 10, whilst Dragovic poured in 8.


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


2012 William Jones Cup: Japan beat Lebanon, both finish with 3-5 records - by Eurobasket News

Japan-Lebanon 89:70

Japan beat Lebanon, both finish with 3-5 records at the 2012 William Jones Cup. Japan needed 89:70 win to tie both records.
Both teams scored 18 points each in the first period and then Japan produced 24-16 in the second frame for 8-point lead at the halftime. They added 26-18 in the third quarter and never looked behind after. Moreover Japan posted another 21-18 in the last stanza for the final success.
Kosuke Takeuchi (206-C/F-85) top-scored for the winners with 24 points and Kosuke Kanamaru (193-F/G-89) nailed 13. Hironori Watanabe (180-G-88) poured in 12, while Takahiro Kurihara (192-G/F-87) added 10. Jarrid Famous (209-C/F-88, college: S.Florida) collected 21 points and 13 rebounds in the losing effort. Ahmad IBRAHIM and Hussein EL KHATIB followed him with 13 points apiece.
The Philippines won the tourney with a 7-1 record, dropping the only game to Lebanon.

Japan: Kosuke Takeuchi 24, Kosuke Kanamaru 13, Hironori Watanabe 12, Takahiro Kurihara 10
Lebanon: Jarrid Famous 21+13 rebs, Ahmad IBRAHIM 13, Hussein EL KHATIB 13


U18 Championship: Iran topple Japan to clinch Bronze - by Eurobasket News

Iran U18 - Japan U18 87:83

Iran stepped onto the pedestal at U18 Asia Championship. They defeated Japan to clinch Bronze medals. Sajjad Mashayekhi (180-PG-94) came up with a triple-double of 26 points, 12 assists and 11 boards to pace Iran.
Iran stormed into the game. They exploded with 31 points in the opening quarter posting a 17-point lead. However Japan were not intimidated by such a start. They responded with 32-point spree in the second quarter to cut the deficit to just three points at halftime 46:49. Iran kept Japan at distance throughout the third term. They established a 7-point lead at the final intermission. Yuta Watanabe (200-SF-94), Baba and Mori pulled Japan within just two points 83:85 with 26 seconds remaining in regulation. But Dalirzahan sank two free throws in the dying seconds to seal the victory for Iran. Behnam Yakhchali (191-G-95) finished with 24 points, while Saleh Foroutannik (203-F/C-94) added 21 points for the winners. Masahiro Narita (185-SF-94) answered with 25 points for Japan. Yuta Watanabe had 23 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Iran U18: Sajjad Mashayekhi 26+12 assists+11 boards, Behnam Yakhchali 24, Saleh Foroutannik 21
Japan U18: Masahiro Narita 25, Yuta Watanabe 23


Iwate Big Bulls sign Lawrence Blackledge, Carlos Dixon and Dillion Sneed - by Eurobasket News (T)

Iwate Big Bulls seriously strengthened their roster. They added Lawrence Blackledge (206-F-86, college: Marquette), Carlos Dixon (201-G/F-81, agency: Top Notch Sports, college: Virginia Tech) and Dillion Sneed (203-C-84, agency: Top Notch Sports, college: E.Tenn.St.) to the squad.
Lawrence Blackledge started the previous season with Osaka Evessa. The forward notched 9.4 points, 10.0 boards, 3.2 assists, 3.0 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. In January Lawrence Blackledge moved to Hamamatsu Phoenix. His stats read 9.6 points, 5.5 boards, 2.1 blocks per appearance. He made it into Japanese BJ League All-Defensive Team.
Carlos Dixon comes from Fukuoka Rizing. The forward notched 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the team last season. Previously Carlos Dixon had stints for Ryukyu Golden Kings as well as in Argentina, South Korea, France and China.
Dillion Sneed started the previous season in Portugal. He played for Academica. The centre notched 16.4 points, 9.6 boards and 1.8 steals per game. Later he joined Ryukyu Golden Kings Okinawa. Dillion Sneed posted 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per appearance.


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


2012 William Jones Cup: Iran finish on high note - by Eurobasket News

Iran - Jordan 87:74

Iran claimed the sixth win at the William Jones Cup. They overcame Jordan to clinch the second position in the final ladder. Jordan fell at 2-6 record after the loss. Samad Nik Khahbahrami (198-F-83) provided 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists to pace the winners.
Jordan enjoyed a 19:18 lead after ten minutes. But Iran denied the deficit and pulled ahead for a 37:34 halftime lead. Iran stayed aggressive in the third term. They fired 25 points to ensure a 4-point lead at the final intermission. Iran accounted for 25 points in the fourth frame and sealed the victory at the end. Mousa Nabipour (212-C-83) posted 14 points, while Mahdi Kamrani (186-PG-82) added 13 points for the winning team. Rasheim Wright (192-G-81, college: District of Col.) and Wesam Al-Sous (183-PG-83) answered with 20 points each for Jordan.

Iran: Samad Nik Khahbahrami 30, Mousa Nabipour 14, Mahdi Kamrani 13
Jordan: Rasheim Wright 20, Wesam Al-Sous 20


*****************************************************
  KOSOVO   


Bashkimi signs Dustin Mitchell - by Dren Shporta

The orange team from Prizren, Bashkimi, has signed american center Dustin Mitchell (206-F/C-87, college: WiscKing.-Whitew.). After a month of a search for a player in that position they have in the end found what they needed.

As www.borozani.com says, the player was specially wanted from their new coach, Muhamer Vugdalic the slovenian that will take Bashkimi team in the new season. Mithcell last season has played for the New Zeland team of Hub Jets.

After the signing of Philip Brooks, this is the second international player that has come to Prizren, and with this agreement have finished the right to sing players from abroad.

Bashkimi is also in search of national players beacuse after the loss of Samir Shaptahovic and Artin Gashi, they have empty spaces in the team.


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  LEBANON   


2012 William Jones Cup: Japan beat Lebanon, both finish with 3-5 records - by Eurobasket News

Japan-Lebanon 89:70

Japan beat Lebanon, both finish with 3-5 records at the 2012 William Jones Cup. Japan needed 89:70 win to tie both records.
Both teams scored 18 points each in the first period and then Japan produced 24-16 in the second frame for 8-point lead at the halftime. They added 26-18 in the third quarter and never looked behind after. Moreover Japan posted another 21-18 in the last stanza for the final success.
Kosuke Takeuchi (206-C/F-85) top-scored for the winners with 24 points and Kosuke Kanamaru (193-F/G-89) nailed 13. Hironori Watanabe (180-G-88) poured in 12, while Takahiro Kurihara (192-G/F-87) added 10. Jarrid Famous (209-C/F-88, college: S.Florida) collected 21 points and 13 rebounds in the losing effort. Ahmad IBRAHIM and Hussein EL KHATIB followed him with 13 points apiece.
The Philippines won the tourney with a 7-1 record, dropping the only game to Lebanon.

Japan: Kosuke Takeuchi 24, Kosuke Kanamaru 13, Hironori Watanabe 12, Takahiro Kurihara 10
Lebanon: Jarrid Famous 21+13 rebs, Ahmad IBRAHIM 13, Hussein EL KHATIB 13


U18 Championship: Lebanon ended up on the 7th place - by Eurobasket News

Lebanon U18-Saudi Arabia U18 89:78

Lebanon ended up on the 7th place at the 22nd Asia U18 Championship. The team overcame Saudi Arabia U18 89:78 in the first game of the Final Day.
Lebanon started the game with 21-16, but Saudi Arabia replied with 22-15 in the second frame to take the lead at the halftime. Only due to the second half the Lebanese team managed to seal the victory. They produced 26-14 in the third period and finished the game with 27-26. Wael Arakji (192-G-94) made the last two free throws for the final success.
Wael Arakji top-scored for the winners with 31 points, while Hanna Nemer (177-G-94) and Elie Chamoun (193-F-94) posted 16 each. Ali Mezher (182-PG-94) followed them with 9 points in a win. Waheed Faqihi (185-F-94) and Nassir Abojalas (195-F-94) finished the game with 19 points each. Safwan Mohammed (203-C-94) notched 14, whilst Mohammed Alhosawe (173-G-94) and Asslam Bafarat (197-F/C-94) had 10 each.

Lebanon U18: Wael Arakji 31, Hanna Nemer 16, Elie Chamoun 16, Ali Mezher 9
Saudi Arabia U18: Waheed Faqihi 19, Nassir Abojalas 19, Safwan Mohammed 14, Mohammed Alhosawe 10, Asslam Bafarat 10


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  LITHUANIA   


Dnipro defeat LKKA-Atletas in test clash - by Eurobasket News

Dnipro - LKKA-Atletas 86:65

Dnipro played their second friendly encounter during the training camp in Lithuaia. They took on LKKA-Atletas. The Ukrainian team proved the strength claiming a comfortable win. Daniel Kickert (208-C/F-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) delivered 24 points and 9 rebounds to lead the winners.
Dnipro gained a 21:11 lead after ten minutes. They maintained the lead throughout the second quarter posting a 45:35 halftime lead. Dnipro stretched the gap in the third quarter. They accumulated a 22-point lead heading into the fourth frame 67:45. LKKA-Atletas outscored their opponents in the final quarter but could not avoid the loss. Valdas Vasylius (203-F-83, college: ODU) and Misyats knocked down 13 points each for the winners. Edvinas Alunderis (202-F-92) answered with 16 points for LKKA-Atletas. Taurantas Tamosiunas (189-PG-92) netted 15 points in defeat.

Dnipro: Daniel Kickert 24, Valdas Vasylius 13, Olexandr Misyats (200-SF-92) 13
LKKA-Atletas: Edvinas Alunderis 16, Taurantas Tamosiunas 15


Gediminas Maceina is set to join Pieno Zvaigzdes - by Eurobasket News (T)

Pieno Zvaigzdes are close to landing Gediminas Maceina (188-PG-84). The sides are about to reach an agreement on terms of contract. Gediminas Maceina spent the previous season with Juventus Utenos. The guard notched 7.9 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds per game in LKL. In Baltic League Gediminas Maceina posted 6.8 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds per appearance. Eurobasket.com gave the guard All-Baltic League Honourable Mention. Previously Gediminas Maceina had stints with Panevezys, Rudupis, Siauliai, Barons/LMT Riga, Nevezis and Zalgiris. He made it into All-Lithuanian LKL 2nd Team in 2006. The season before Gediminas Maceina was named into LKL All-Newcomers Team. He was the member of U18 Lithuanian National Team. The guard also played for Lithuanian National Team in 2006.


Atletas add Miksys, Beniusis and Pakalniskis - by Eurobasket News (T)

Atletas add Miksys, Sarunas Beniusis (206-F/C-93) and Pakalniskis for the enxt season. The team just played its first friendly game against Ukrainian Dnipro.
Laimonas Miksys played earlier for Siauliu Saule-Aukstabalis. After three years with the team the Lithuanian player changed it for Atletas.
Sarunas Beniusis comes from Mazeikiai (NKL). In his first season he averaged 0.6ppg, while last season his stats read 0.9ppg.
Gytis Pakalniskis (205-C/F-89) comes from Panevezys Lietkabelis. The season 2010-2011 he started for Hormigones Sierra - Villamuriel (Spain-EBA, starting five) and in 9 games averaged 12.6ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 64.6%, 3PT: 35.3%, FT: 61.1%. In Jan.'11 moved to CD Estela Santander (Spain-EBA) and showed 6.2ppg, 3.0rpg, 2FGP: 57.4%, 3PT: 29.2%, FT: 85.7%. In 2011-2012 moved to Panevezys Lietkabelis (Lithuania-LKL).


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


Radosav Spasojevic is looking to impress Buducnost's coaching staff in Kopaonik - by Darko Pekic (T)

Radosav Spasojevic (204-F/C-92, agency: Interperformances), the 20 year old U21 Montenegro National Team member, is currently with Buducnost in Kopaonik (Serbia) and is looking to impress their coaching staff and earn the contract for the upcoming season. Niksic born big man played last season in Austria and averaged 13.4ppg, 3.9rpg in A Bundesliga for Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions. He was even better in Eurochallange averaging 16.5ppg, 4.5rpg. Spasojevic won the U20 Championship in Austria with his team and was voted MVP of the Championship.

Buducnost will make a decision on him and Dino Butorac (192-G-90) after they return from Kopaonik to Podgorica.


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  MYANMAR   


US sends basketball players, coaches to Myanmar - by Eurobasket News

The U.S. Embassy said Sunday that four sports envoys will be in the country this week as part of a U.S. State Department-sponsored program to emphasize the importance of academics, cooperation, and respect for diversity.

The group will conduct several sports workshops with local youth before leaving Friday. Three of the envoys arrived this weekend and the last one is due to fly into Yangon later Sunday.

The group includes Charlotte Bobcats basketball team manager Richard Cho, a Myanmar native who migrated to the United States. Also traveling are Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Darvin Ham, former Womens National Basketball Association player Allison Feaster-Strong (5'11''-F-76, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Harvard) and former NBA player Marty Conlon (6'11''-F/C-68, college: Providence).

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com


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


L.A. Clippers' Blake Griffin healthy, happy - by Eurobasket News

The Lakers might be the talk of the town, but Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) likes the roster the Clippers have assembled this summer.

Griffin told the Los Angeles Times on Friday hes healthy and working out again after some minor surgery last month.

After injuring his knee during a Team USA practice on July 10, and having surgery on July 16, Griffin missed out on the Olympic experience.

From a health standpoint, though, he doesnt see the cartilage cleanup as much of a setback.

In talking to my doctor, he told me if this was the season and the playoffs were coming up, I would have been out two or three weeks, Griffin told the L.A. Times. Were kind of taking our time with it and really making sure that my strength is 100 percent back to where it needs to be.

Just two seasons into his NBA career, Griffin is already a two-time All-Star. His jersey sales for last season ranked ninth in the league, according to Bloomberg Businessweek, and his throw down on OKCs Kendrick Perkins last January has over 2 million YouTube hits.

But the power foward is much more than a dunker, and just last month the Clippers signed him to a five-year contract that will pay an average of $19 million per season.

Griffin (6-10, 250 pounds) has averaged 21.7 points and 11.5 rebounds in his two seasons. After missing the 2009-10 season with a broken knee cap, Griffin has started every game.

The Clippers won a franchise-record 60.6 percent of their games last year and advanced to the second round of the playoffs after adding Chris Paul, the Olympic teams starting point guard.

Before Pauls arrival, Griffin endured a 32-50 rookie season.

With Paul, Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan as their young nucleus, the Clippers no longer a punch line across the league.

The Lakers have stacked their lineup with six guys who have combined to play in 34 All-Star Games, but that doesnt temper Griffins enthusiasm about the direction of his team.

In addition to locking up Griffin this summer, the Clippers have also re-signed combo guard Chauncey Billups and brought in Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Willie Green, Ronny Turiaf and Ryan Hollins.

Griffin now refers to the Clippers as a free-agent destination.

Everybody knows the state that the Clippers were in, or have been in, for the last however many years, Griffin told the Times. I think that shows a lot about where were at and where were going, that guys want to play here and that guys want to buy in.

Youve got a guy like Grant Hill who is at the end of his career and he chose us. So, I think we can be very good. I think we can contend in the West and for a championship.

Courtesy of http://aol.sportingnews.com


President Obama fundraises with help from NBA stars - by Diamadis Farmakis

President Barack Obama sees the presidential contest as a clutch moment in his favorite sporting moment -- the fourth quarter of a taut basketball game.

Fundraising with the help of current and former National Basketball Association stars, Obama told a small group of donors gathered Wednesday night at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center that the current campaign is like the final minutes of a basketball contest with his team up by a few points.

"But the other side is coming strong," Obama said. "And they play a little dirty. We've got a few folks on our team in foul trouble. We have a couple of injuries. And I believe they have one last run in them."

Obama raised $3 million with the help of the players, who included former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan (6'7''-F-63, college: N.Carolina) and former Knicks Walt Frazier and Bill Bradley. NBA Commissioner David Stern also was there.

Invoking Jordan's competitive nature, Obama concluded: "If you have seven minutes to go and you have a little bit of a lead, that's when you put them away."

The players were part a day long fundraiser. Earlier, former and current players participated in a $250 per person autograph session and in a skills camp priced at for $5,000 for two people.

"It is very rare that I come to an event where I'm like the fifth or sixth most interesting person," Obama joked at the Lincoln Center dinner.

Later, Obama changed out of his dark suit to shoot baskets with some of the players out of sight of the press. Obama, an avid basketball fan and a player, made a splash during his 2008 campaign by sinking a 3-point shot while visiting troops in Kuwait. His most recent star-studded game, also played in private, featured actors George Clooney and Tobey Maguire.


Agent: Davis will be involved with Knicks - by Eurobasket News

Knicks unrestricted free agent Baron Davis (6'3''-PG-79, college: UCLA) will remain with the team in "some capacity," his agent Todd Ramasar told ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday.

The Knicks won't re-sign Davis as a player because the 33-year-old point guard suffered a horrific right knee injury in last season's playoffs, and it's likely he could miss the entire 2012-13 campaign. But since the spring, the Knicks have treated Davis like one of their own. The team has allowed him to do physical therapy with their training staff, and most recently, management has approached him about staying on board this season.

Ramasar said Davis is very excited about the opportunity, but it won't involve a job title or him sitting on the bench during games. Instead, it will likely be more of a mentorship role behind the scenes and during practices.

"He'll still be around the team and could kind of help some of the younger guys just through his experience," Ramasar said. "The Knicks have been wonderful in terms of just extending support to Baron, whether it be through obviously his physical therapy or just having him involved with the organization going forward. He really loves that team and that organization has done an excellent job with Baron, and Baron feels like that's home. He really, really enjoyed last season with the Knicks."

Ramasar said Davis' goal remains the same from the moment he suffered a partial tear of his right patella tendon and complete tears of his right anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments during Game 4 against the Heat. "He wants to make a comeback," Ramasar said.

Davis is now walking around without a knee brace, and without the assistance of a cane or crutches. Ramasar said the last time Davis had a major checkup in early July, doctors determined he was ahead of schedule. The biggest thing right now for Davis is to regain his range of motion since the scar tissue healed.

"From what I'm observing, a lot of his therapy is just coming from walking and strengthening that leg again, and kind of adding some of those muscles that might have atrophied from the time down," Ramasar said. "He's starting to get those muscles to fire again."

In addition to physical therapy in New York and Los Angeles, where Davis makes his first home, he's been busy with two of his companies, Verso Entertainment, which distributes films, TV shows and web content, and his new one, 5 Balloons Interactive, which develops games for mobile devices. He's also been involved with his longtime community work in L.A. Just last week, he hosted an all-star kickball game on UCLA's campus, featuring a dozen pro athletes, to raise money for his foundation, Rising Stars of America.

Ramasar said it's "too early to tell" if Davis will play at all this season, but not to rule anything out. If anyone knows that, it's Ramasar, a former Bruins teammate of Davis' in the late 1990s who witnessed the former All-Star point guard return from a left ACL tear.

"One thing I saw then and I've known about Baron is that when he puts his mind to something, in terms of his will, there's no stopping Baron," Ramasar said. "As horrific and devastating that knee injury was this past season, if Baron's mind and will are into making a comeback and recovering fully, then that's not something that anyone would want to bet against."

Courtesy of ESPN


James Anderson may sign with Hawks - by Eurobasket News (T)

James Anderson (6'6''-G-89, college: Oklahoma St.) may sign with the Atlanta Hawks.

Danny Green congratulated Anderson on Twitter for the apparent move that hasn't been formally reported yet.

"Got to show love n shout my guy @25 Anderson out for the new deal with Atlanta..Congrats man! Bright future ahead," wrote Green.

Anderson was San Antonio's first round pick in 2010.

Danny Ferry, general manager of the Hawks, is familiar with Anderson from his time in the Spurs' front office.

Courtesy of http://basketball.realgm.com


US sends basketball players, coaches to Myanmar - by Eurobasket News

The U.S. Embassy said Sunday that four sports envoys will be in the country this week as part of a U.S. State Department-sponsored program to emphasize the importance of academics, cooperation, and respect for diversity.

The group will conduct several sports workshops with local youth before leaving Friday. Three of the envoys arrived this weekend and the last one is due to fly into Yangon later Sunday.

The group includes Charlotte Bobcats basketball team manager Richard Cho, a Myanmar native who migrated to the United States. Also traveling are Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Darvin Ham, former Womens National Basketball Association player Allison Feaster-Strong (5'11''-F-76, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Harvard) and former NBA player Marty Conlon (6'11''-F/C-68, college: Providence).

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com


Is Durant in Magic's free-agent future? - by Eurobasket News

Are the Magic looking to hook perhaps the NBA's biggest fish four years from now?

Yes, it's difficult for fans to even digest how long a wait that might be.

But wouldn't the wait for Kevin Durant (6'9''-SF-88, college: Texas) be worth it?

Now the knee-jerk reaction might be this: Durant? Durant isn't the kind of kid who would ever abandon Oklahoma City as a free agent (after the 2015-16 season.) He's the leader of a great, young team now. And surely, the Thunder aren't about to let him get away.

Right?

People and circumstances change.

Who envisioned Miami striking up a band called The Heatles? Or New Jersey --- New Jersey! being relevant again?

Magic fans know how quickly things can change. Once again, they must stomach seeing another superstar center (Dwight Howard) in a Lakers' uniform.

No one predicted the Dwightmare coming. No one saw Howard going from a kid who loved being Orlando's ambassador to a big-market mercenary.

If Durant doesn't fancy himself as a big-city guy, wouldn't Orlando make sense? Retooling mostly through the draft, the Magic could have young pieces in place by then, if GM Rob Hennigan has his way.

Hennigan isn't opposed to signing free agents --- and the Magic have a history of spending money to grab them. But the new GM doesn't seem as if he'll ridiculously overpay for anyunless it's a superstar package of talent and humility like Durant.

In the summer of 2014, the Magic will have roughly $36 million in cap space. The prospective free-agent class is stunning: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce.

None of those stars (several aging) are expected to leave their teams, although Pierce might go exploring. The Heat trio has the option to terminate its contractsnot likely.

Other '14 would-be free agents: Pau Gasol, Amar'e Stoudemire, Zach Randolph, Andrew Bogut, Danny Granger and Andrea Bargnani. None of them -- other than Granger, a good but not great player -- seemingly fit the Magic plan.

The Magic will have even more cap room in the 2015 offseason, depending on what they do the next two summers. And there are some free-agent jewels: Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Love.

Will the Magic be good enough by then to turn any of their heads? That's the question. It takes more than a max contract now to land them in this age of stars joining forces.

(Note: LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh can opt out of their deals in '15.again, not likely.)

This leads us to The Summer of Durant, with the Magic a full four seasons (and several lottery picks) into their rebuild.

Other free agents possibly available in 2016: Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Danilo Gallinari, David Lee and Nene'.

Durant, 23, still will be in his prime in four years. He might well sign an extension in Okie City before his contract's expiration date. But the Magic can dream, can't they? All is fair in love and war and pirating players.

And, oh yeah, Hennigan knows Durant personally after serving as an assistant GM with the Thunder. Ironically, all Hennigan's Thunder blueprint might need in Orlando is.a free-agent star like Durant.

Courtesy of http://articles.orlandosentinel.com


Confident Brooklyn Nets talking NBA title - by Eurobasket News

The Nets have yet to play a single as a game as a Brooklyn franchise - or unveil their uniforms, for that matter - but they're already targeting a championship in Year 1.

Cornerstones Brook Lopez (7'0''-C/F-88, college: Stanford) and Joe Johnson (6'7''-G-81, college: Arkansas) set the lofty tone in recent interviews, buoyed by the Nets' expensive offseason.

"Obviously our main goal is no question the NBA championship. I think it is realistic for us," Lopez told the Philipine Star during his NBA goodwill tour of the Philippines. "We're already a good playoff team so with the addition of other pieces, we can target the ring."

Johnson echoed that sentiment to Sports Illustrated, continuing his confident evaluations of his new squad. During Johnson's introductory press conference in July, he declared the Nets were "definitely" already better than the Knicks.

But the New York crown obviously isn't enough.

"That's what we are shooting for - the ring," Johnson said. "There's no need to sell ourselves short. You talk about gelling and figuring it out, and I think we have the perfect pieces: a great point guard, a great center.

"I don't think any of our positions are the same or overlap at all."

Title talk is an enormous leap for the Nets, who are tied with the Timberwolves for the worst record in the league over the last three years at 58-172. But they're entering Brooklyn - and the $1 billion Barclays Center, which is scheduled for completion in less than two weeks - with a revamped roster and a different mindset.

While coach Avery Johnson has stuck by Mikhail Prokhorov's more modest goal of a championship by 2015, the players are clearly confident they can adjust the timeline - even with the Heat, Thunder, Lakers and Celtics looming large and talented.

The starting spots are locked up by proven commodities, what Lopez described as "a fantastic core" - Deron Williams, Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and Lopez. Their combined salaries are over $72 million for next season, and, aside from Humphries, they're all under contract until at least after the 2015-16 season.

Lopez, who told the Philipine Star that he's ready to start the season after rehabbing a fractured foot, has a player option in 2015-16.

"The most important part is we are going to be a very good team. Not just a great group of basketball players, but a great team," Lopez said.

Johnson, the Nets' big acquisition of the offseason (not counting Williams' re-signing), said he's putting more into this offseason training while preparing for more running with the Nets' offense.

"I'm really just training a lot more this summer, with a lot more focus, and being down (in Miami) with (fitness guru) Manning Sumner really helps," he said. "My role is going to change a lot playing with the Nets, and I'm fine with that. I just want to be prepared for that situation. I want to start on a positive note."

He's certainly started with a positive outlook.

Courtesy of www.nydailynews.com


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  NCAA1   


Broncos Control Glass in Win Over Basket Fondi - by Eurobasket News

Fondi, Italy - The Western Michigan men's basketball team dominated the glass in their first game against foreign competition, and the Broncos defeated Basket Fondi 87-78 on Monday. The Broncos are now 1-0 on their 2012 European trip, and will have Tuesday off before facing Stella Azzura on Wednesday.
The Broncos utilized a combination of solid shooting and dominant rebounding to drop their opponents, out-rebounding Basket Fondi 43-24 and knocking down 48.5 percent of their shots from the field. Freshman Darius Paul contributed seven points and a game-high seven rebounds, including three offensive boards; meanwhile, four different players reached double-digit scoring for the Broncos, including Jared Klein, who had a team-high 13 points.

Shayne Whittington finished just behind Klein with 12 points and also contributed five rebounds; Hayden Hoerdemann (6'3''-G-93) shot 3 of 6 from beyond the three-point arc for 11 points; and freshman Connar Tava had a solid debut with 10 points, seven rebounds, a block, and a steal.

Basket Fondi actually led after one quarter of play, but the Broncos would take their first lead on the very first possession of the second quarter. Freshman Kellen McCormick corralled a defensive rebound and shot it to Klein, who went coast to coast for the transition lay-up to give the Broncos an 18-17 lead. They tacked on to the lead just seconds later when A.J. Avery stole a pass on the next defensive possession and flipped it to Klein, who again scored the fast break lay-up to give WMU a three-point lead.

Basket Fondi would bounce back and take a four-point lead at the 6:34 mark of the second quarter, but the Broncos would kick off a 17-3 run to close the quarter and take a 40-30 lead into halftime. The run was sparked by solid free throw shooting; after Nate Hutcheson scored on a short jumper to cut the lead to two points, Austin Richie (6'2''-G-91) and Shayne Whittington each made a pair of free throws to take the 29-27 lead. Brandon Pokley (6'4''-G-90) would notch a three-pointer to make it 32-27, and the lead would swell to 10 points when Taylor Perry and Darius Paul scored fast break lay-ups on back-to-back possessions.

Klein would help the Broncos to their largest lead of the quarter early in the third, recording a pair of free throws to give WMU a 48-32 lead at the 8:13 mark of the third quarter. Avery would tie that lead for the Broncos at the 2:22 mark of the third stanza with a lay-up to make it 62-46 as the Broncos continued to control the tempo of the game.

The Broncos reached their high water mark in the fourth quarter, when Pokley drained a trey to make the score 79-58 early in the final period. Hayden Hoerdemann maintained the 20-point lead with a jumper at the 5:52 mark, and the Broncos cruised down the stretch to the victory.
Courtesy of: www.wmubroncos.com


Bronco Defense Stifles Stella Azzurra in Win - by Eurobasket News

ROCCAPORENA, Italy - The Western Michigan men's basketball team held their opponents to a meager 32.7 percent day shooting from the field, and the Broncos defeated Stella Azzurra 78-64 in the second game of their European trip. With the win, the Broncos improve to 2-0 on the trip.
The Broncos forced 22 turnovers, including recording an impressive 12 steals, and didn't allow Stella Azzurra much room on the possessions in which they did put up a shot; Stella Azzurra shot just 17 of 52 from the field, including just six of 18 from three-point range. Conversely, the Broncos shot 26 of 55 (.473) from the field and saw six players reach double-digits in scoring. Like their game against Basket Fondi three days earlier, the Broncos controlled the glass against Stella Azzurra, notching a 42-27 rebounding advantage.

Sophomore Austin Richie led the Broncos with 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting and a 5 of 5 shooting performance from the free throw line. Nate Hutcheson (6'7''-F-90) reached 11 points for the game, and four players - Connar Tava, Shayne Whittington (6'10''-C-91), Darius Paul, and Taylor Perry - each scored 10 points.

Stella Azzurra led 17-16 after the first quarter, but the Broncos would quickly take the lead for good. With the Broncos trailing by two points early in the second period, Richie knocked down a jumper to tie the score at 20-20; just a few seconds later, Tava made one of two free throws to give the Broncos a lead they would hold for the remainder of the game. Richie would record a steal and take it the length of the court for a fast break lay-up at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter, and Nate Hutcheson maintained the slim lead with a baseline dunk at the 5:59 mark.

Paul would stretch the lead to five points with a steal and a fast break lay-up at the 4:44 mark, and Brandon Pokley would give the Broncos their largest lead of the half when he made a pair of free throws to make it 36-26 with 2:10 remaining in the second quarter, the culmination of an 11-3 run. Stella Azzurra would cut the lead to five points, but Jared Klein hit a pair of free throws before the half to give WMU a 38-31 lead at the break.

The Broncos dominated the beginning of the third quarter, when Whittington scored the first five points of the half to give the Broncos a 43-31 lead in just a minute of play. The lead swelled to 13 points when Hayden Hoerdemann (6'3''-G-93) dove to the ground for a loose ball and tossed it to Paul, who laid the ball in at the 5:33 mark.

Stella Azzurra would cut the lead to ten points at the end of the third quarter, but the Broncos would soon push the lead to new heights; Tava and Hutcheson recorded a pair of free throw makes on consecutive possessions to make it 69-53, and the Broncos would reach a 20-point lead when Richie made a pair at the 4:23 mark.

Perry hit a three-pointer at the 2:52 mark to maintain the 20-point lead, making it 78-58, and the Broncos would cruise down the stretch for the victory.
Courtesy of: www.wmubroncos.com


Reece Gaines To Be Named New Assistant Basketball Coach At Bellarmine - by Greg

Card Chronicle has learned that former U of L star Reece Gaines (6'6''-G-81, college: Louisville) is in line to be named Scotty Davenport's new assistant basketball coach at Bellarmine University.

The hire will be formally announced once Gaines passes the standard university screening process.

Gaines will replace Carl White on the Bellarmine coaching staff. White served as an assistant under Davenport for three season before accepting the Shawnee High School boys' basketball head coaching position earlier this month.

The 2011 Division II national champions, Bellarmine returns several key players from last year's team, which was stunned by Montevallo in the Final Four. Former Eastern High star Chris Dowe and 2011 GLVC Player of the Year Jeremy Kendle headline the returnees.

A third team AP All-America selection in his senior season, Gaines left U of L ranked fourth on the school's all-time scoring list. He ranks in Louisville's all-time top five in the categories of made three-point goals (225), free-throws made (456), and assists (475).

Gaines was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 15th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and spent three seasons in the NBA with the Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks. He then played professionally in Italy, France and, most recently, Austria.

This marks the continuance of a big news week for the Bellarmine basketball program, which was named as the host of the 2013 Division II Elite 8 on Wednesday. Those games will be played on March 28 and 30 inside Freedom Hall.

Everyone I've spoken with about this hire says that all the people involved couldn't be more excited. It's great for Bellarmine, it's great for Reece, and it's great for basketball in the city of Louisville in general.

Once again, it's going to be a very exciting seven months around here.

Courtesy of Card Chronicle


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  PHILIPPINES   


2012 William Jones Cup: Philippines beat USA to clinch the title - by Eurobasket News

Philippines - USA 76:75

Philippines earned William Jones Cup title. They defeated USA selection for the trophy. LA Tenorio (177-PG-84) dropped a late jumper to seal the victory for Philippines. USA fell at 5-3 record after the loss.
The North American team led one point after ten minutes 13:12. They stretched the lead in the second quarter. USA accumulated a 34:23 halftime lead. But Philippines picked up the tempo in the second half. They unloaded 28 points in the third term to narrow the gap at 8-point mark. Philippines unleashed 25 points in the final stanza and eked out a tough victory at the end. LA Tenorio delivered 20 points for Philippines. Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) added 17 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Wayne Arnold (193-G-84, agency: Top Notch Sports, college: Tennessee St.) and James Justice (177-PG-89, college: Martin Methodist) provided 17 points each for USA.

Philippines: LA Tenorio 20, Jeffrei Chan (192-F-83) 18, Marcus Douthit 17+12 boards
USA: Wayne Arnold 17, James Justice 17


U18 Championship: Taiwan clinches 5th place in Ulaanbaatar - by Eurobasket News

Philippines U18-Taiwan U18 85:89

Taiwan clinches 5th place in Ulaanbaatar of the 22nd Asia U18 Championship. The team outscored Philippines 89:85 in the game for the 5-6 places.
It was the last game for both teams and they both tried hard to finish on a higher place. At first Taiwan won the first period 22-20, but then Philippines produced 14-13 in the second quarter. Taiwan had 25-14 in the third period for 12-point advantage with 10 minutes to go, however Philippines played tough until the end. They erupted with 37-29 surge in the last stanza and managed to reduce to final 4 points.
Fang Shih-En (199-C-94) top-scored for the winners with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Lin Kuan-Chun (184-G-95) collected 17 points and 10 rebounds. Wang Chih-Chun (180-G-82) notched 16 and Lu Kuan-Hsuan (180-G-95) brought 10. Rodolfo Alejandro (180-G-95) replied with 22 points in the losing effort and Mario Bonleon (183-F-94) as well as Jerie Pingoy (175-G-94) poured in 15 each. Rey Nambatac (179-G-94) delivered 7 in the losing case.

Philippines U18: Rodolfo Alejandro 22, Mario Bonleon 15, Jerie Pingoy 15, Rey Nambatac 7
Taiwan U18: Fang Shih-En 21+11 rebs, Lin Kuan-Chun 17+10 rebs, Wang Chih-Chun 16, Lu Kuan-Hsuan 10


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  POLAND   


Mateusz Bartosz joins Anwil Wloclawek - by Eurobasket News (T)

Mateusz Bartosz (203-F-87) joins Anwil Wloclawek for the next season. The player was the last addition to the roster.
The last two years the Polish Forward spent with AZS Koszalin and PBG Basket Poznan. AZS Koszalin landed Mateusz Bartosz in season 2010. In 2010-2011 for AZS Koszalin (PLK) he averaged 3.5ppg, 1.8rpg. The season 2011-2012 he started for AZS Koszalin (PLK) but in Nov.'11 moved to PBG Basket Poznan (PLK, starting five) and in 28 games averaged 6.0ppg, 7.1rpg, FGP: 48.0%, 3PT: 37.8%, FT: 47.6%.
Earlier he also played for PBG Basket. He tallied 1.0 point and 1.4 rebounds per appearance. In January Mateusz Bartosz moved to Big Star Tychy from 1Liga. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. In 2009 Mateusz Bartosz was named the Eurobasket.com All-Polish 1Liga Defensive Player of the Year while playing for Polonia 2011.


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  PUERTO RICO   


Strong signs in Sweden and Cortes goes to the Dominican Republic: - by Luis Modestti (T)

Carlos Strong (191-G-87, college: Boston U.) signed with Sodertalje Kings in Sweden for the 2012-2013 season. Strong played last season with Atleticos de San German and averaged 11.97 points in 29 games.

Last season he was one of the most efficient scorers in the league as he made 41% from three-point range.

In 2011 Strong was part of the Puerto Rican National Team that won the Gold Medal in the Pan-American Games.

Another Puerto Rican that signed overseas was David Cortes (190-G/F-81) who joins Huracanes del Atlantico in the Dominican Republic.

Cortes made his debut yesterday in the 88-79 loss to Metros. He scored 10 points for Huracanes.

Meanwhile David Huertas (195-G-87, college: Mississippi) could sign soon with Obras Sanitarias in Argentina. Huertas played for Piratas de Quebradillas, Metros de Santiago (DOM) and had a good performance with the Puerto Rican National Team this summer.


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  RUSSIA   


Spartak Primorye adds guard Ilya Syrovatko - by Eurobasket News (T)

Spartak Primorye continues with signings for the upcoming season. Their latest addition is Russian guard Iliya Syrovatko (193-G-88). He arrives to the club from Enisey Krasnoyarsk. Syrovatko appeared 13 times in Russian league last season averaging 3.9 points and 1.5 rebounds. The player also added 3.2 ppg for 17 VTB United League games and 2.4 ppg for 5 appearances in EuroChallenge. Before Enisey, he spent one year with Triumph Lyubertsy. There the player had 7.6 ppg and 1.5 rpg in 24 Russian league games. In the past, Syrovatko played for Dynamo Moscow. In 2010, he was named to Eurobasket.com Russian A Superleague All-Newcomers Team. Iliya Syrovatko also was a member of Russian U20 and U18 National teams. With U20 NT he reached Semifinals at U20 EuroBasket in Slovenia five years ago.


Lyday Terrell enters his 5th straight season with Unics - by Eurobasket News (T)

Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) enters his 5th straight season with Unics and top-scores in the friendly game against Italian Avellino. Russian Unics Kazan outscored Sidigas Scandone Avellino 78:53. The Russian team grabbed 25-19 after the first period and led 41:29 at the halftime. Moreover the lead grew to 60:37 when the teams enter the last period. The final whistle showed the 25-point victory for the team from Kazan as both teams had a great start of the new preseason. Lyday top-scored for the winners with 18 points and Mc Carty added 14. Kamakoglu posted 10, while Eidson scored 9. Ebi replied with 14 points in the losing effort and Richardson posted 11. Spinelli delivered 10, whilst Dragovic poured in 8.
Last year Unics Kazan have extended the contract of Terrell Lyday for 2 years. In 2011-2012 for Unics Kazan (Russia-PBL, starting five) he averaged 9.5ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.8apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 65.0% in VTB league and in Euroleague showed 11.3ppg, 1.8rpg, 2.2apg, FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 87.0%. In Russian League after 20 games his stats read 11.6ppg, 3.1rpg, 2.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 45.1%, 3PT: 43.9%, FT: 75.4%.


Greek Loukas Mavrokefalidis continue with Spartak St.Petersburg - by Eurobasket News (T)

Greek Loukas Mavrokefalidis (209-C-84) continue with Spartak St.Petersburg this season. The player joined the team last season and is happy to enter his second year in Russia.
In 2009-2010 he played for Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece, A1) and in Euroleague averaged 5.4ppg, 2.3rpg, FGP: 63.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 56.0%. In Greek League his stats read 6.9ppg, 2.5rpg, FGP: 62.8%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 85.7%. In 2010-2011 for Olympiacos S.F.P. Pireus (A1, starting five) he showed 8.4ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 16.7%, FT: 79.4% in Euroleague and in Greek League had 9.8ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 55.2%, FT: 80.8%.
In 2011-2012 Loukas Mavrokefalidis moved to Spartak St.Petersburg (Russia-PBL) and averaged 10.6ppg, 4.1rpg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 80.6% in Russian League. In EuroCup his stats read 11.3ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 57.7%, 3PT: 41.7%, FT: 68.6%, while in VTB League he showed 11.1ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 47.4%, 3PT: 20.0%, FT-1 (95.5%).
Together with Spartak he reached Eurocup Semifinals -12 and VTB United League Quarterfinals -12.


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  SAUDI ARABIA   


U18 Championship: Lebanon ended up on the 7th place - by Eurobasket News

Lebanon U18-Saudi Arabia U18 89:78

Lebanon ended up on the 7th place at the 22nd Asia U18 Championship. The team overcame Saudi Arabia U18 89:78 in the first game of the Final Day.
Lebanon started the game with 21-16, but Saudi Arabia replied with 22-15 in the second frame to take the lead at the halftime. Only due to the second half the Lebanese team managed to seal the victory. They produced 26-14 in the third period and finished the game with 27-26. Wael Arakji (192-G-94) made the last two free throws for the final success.
Wael Arakji top-scored for the winners with 31 points, while Hanna Nemer (177-G-94) and Elie Chamoun (193-F-94) posted 16 each. Ali Mezher (182-PG-94) followed them with 9 points in a win. Waheed Faqihi (185-F-94) and Nassir Abojalas (195-F-94) finished the game with 19 points each. Safwan Mohammed (203-C-94) notched 14, whilst Mohammed Alhosawe (173-G-94) and Asslam Bafarat (197-F/C-94) had 10 each.

Lebanon U18: Wael Arakji 31, Hanna Nemer 16, Elie Chamoun 16, Ali Mezher 9
Saudi Arabia U18: Waheed Faqihi 19, Nassir Abojalas 19, Safwan Mohammed 14, Mohammed Alhosawe 10, Asslam Bafarat 10


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  SLOVAKIA   


Prievidza adds Boon and Falkner - by Petr Marek

BC Prievidza continues in building up roster. After signing of two Slovaks Milan Ziak and Marek Jass, they have signed American guard Paul Gause and forward Joseph Harris. Today they added new face, 26-years old power forward/center Barkley Falkner (203-F/C-86, college: Sam Houston St.). He played last season in Germany for BG Illertal where he scored 13.5 points and added 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Prievidza is his third European stop after he has started professional career in Danish club Aalborg Vikings in 2010-2011.
Last week team management confirmed the signing of American rookie G.W. Boon (193-SG-89, agency: SDJ Sports, college: Bucknell). He graduated at Bucknell University but did not play last season due injury. Coach Andrisevic saw him at Eurobasket Summer League in Las Vegas and offered him job in Slovakia. G.W. will play in his new team on the positions 3 and 4.



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  SOUTH KOREA   


U18 Championship: Shang Gao lifts China to the trophy - by Eurobasket News

China U18 - South Korea U18 93:91

China repeated as U18 Asia Championship winners. They overcame South Korea in the dramatic Final to claim the trophy. Gao Shang (198-F/G-94) knocked down a winning jumper with four seconds to go in regulation and China celebrated Gold. Wang Zhelin (215-C/F-94) finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds to pace the winning side.
South Korea led by two points 26:24 ten minutes into the game. China denied the deficit and pulled ahead in the second quarter. They accumulated a 47:44 halftime advantage. South Korea returned the lead in the third term. They went on a 16:5 run late in the third quarter to gain a 71:61 advantage. South Korea were up by five points 89:84 with just over two minutes remaining. Wang Zhelin put China within one 88:89 with 39 seconds to go. Lee Jong-Hyun (206-C-94) sank two free throws but Wang Zhelin drained a triple to level things up at 91. Then Gao Shang took the floor. His late jumper put China in front and South Korea simply had no time for the answer. Gao Shang accounted for 28 points and 9 rebounds for China. Dai Huaibo (205-C/F-94) added 18 points in the victory. Lee Jong-Hyun answered with 24 points and 7 rebounds for South Korea. Choi Jun-Yong (200-F-94) added 21 points in the loss.

China U18: Wang Zhelin 30+13 boards, Gao Shang 28, Dai Huaibo 18
South Korea U18: Lee Jong-Hyun 24, Choi Jun-Yong 21


2012 William Jones Cup: Taiwan outscore Anyang KGC in the last game - by Eurobasket News

Taiwan- Anyang KGC 77:72

Taiwan outscore Anyang KGC in the last game of the 2012 William Jones Cup. The home side needed 77:72 win to tie both records at 5-3.
Anyang KGC started the game with 27-16 but could not win another quarter. Taiwan replied with 15-9 in the second frame and reduced to 5 points at the halftime. Both teams scored 20 points each in the third quarter, while the host erupted with 26-16 in the last stanza.
Lin Chih-Chieh (192-G-82) poured in 25 points to lead all the hosts. Tien Lei (202-F-83) nailed 22, while Mao Chia-En (195-F/G-82) followed them with 8 points. Pattillo Juan (197-F-88, college: W.Kentucky) collected 20 points and 19 caroms in the losing effort and Lee Jung-Hyun (191-F-87) added 17. Stutz Garrett (212-C-90, college: Wichita St.) finished the game with 10 points in a loss.
The Philippines won the tourney with a 7-1 record, dropping the only game to Lebanon.

Taiwan: Lin Chih-Chieh 25, Tien Lei 22, Mao Chia-En 8
Anyang KGC: Pattillo Juan 20+19 rebs, Lee Jung-Hyun 17, Stutz Garrett 10


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  SPAIN   


UCAM Murcia tab Joe Ragland - by Eurobasket News (T)

UCAM Murcia tab Joe Ragland (182-G-89) for the next season. The American player will debut in Europe this season.
In 2009-2010 he appeared for N.Platte CC (JUCO, starting five). Later in 2010-2011 moved to Wichita St. (NCAA) where he averaged 7.0ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 44.3%, 3PT: 31.2%, FT: 87.7%. That year he scored a season-high 15 points against VCU in Wichita. Joe made better than 50 percent of his shots the last six regular-season games, including a perfect 4-of-4 against SIU. He shared time at the point with Toure Murry and Demetric Williams early in the season. Moreover Joe earned the Warren Jabali Assists Team Award as the team's leader in assists.
In 2011-2012 for Wichita St. (NCAA, starting five) he improved to 13.4ppg, 2.9rpg, 3.3apg, FGP: 61.9%, 3PT: 50.4%, FT: 81.4%.
In 2012 July Joe Ragland participated at the NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas (Golden State Warriors) and in 5 games showed 5.6ppg, 1.6apg.


David Navarro and Antonio Izquierdo sign with Blancos de Rueda Valladolid - by Eurobasket News (T)

David Navarro (192-G/F-83) and Antonio Izquierdo (188-PG-93) sign with Valladolid for the upcoming season.
David Navarro came from Menorca. In 2011-2012 for Menorca Basquet (LEB Gold, starting five) he averaged 11.3ppg, 3.3rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 54.0%, 3PT: 39.5%, FT: 71.8%.
Earlier he played for Girona and tallied 14.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game in LEB Gold. In February David Navarro moved to Valencia. His stats read 3.0 points and 1.2 boards per ACB appearance. In Euroleague the guard notched 1.3 points per game. Eurobasket.com named David Navarro All-Spanish LEB Gold Guard of the Year. The guard had spells for Caja Roja, Vigo, Rosalia and Melilla before joining Girona in 2009. He was named into Eurobasket.com All-Spanish LEB Silver 1st Team back in 2009.
Antonio Izquierdo spent the season 2011-2012 for Cajasol Banca Civica Sevilla (ACB) and played mostly for Castilleja Cajasol Sevilla (EBA). His stats read 7.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 1.6apg, 2FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 21.4%, FT: 57.1%.


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  TAIWAN   


U18 Championship: Taiwan clinches 5th place in Ulaanbaatar - by Eurobasket News

Philippines U18-Taiwan U18 85:89

Taiwan clinches 5th place in Ulaanbaatar of the 22nd Asia U18 Championship. The team outscored Philippines 89:85 in the game for the 5-6 places.
It was the last game for both teams and they both tried hard to finish on a higher place. At first Taiwan won the first period 22-20, but then Philippines produced 14-13 in the second quarter. Taiwan had 25-14 in the third period for 12-point advantage with 10 minutes to go, however Philippines played tough until the end. They erupted with 37-29 surge in the last stanza and managed to reduce to final 4 points.
Fang Shih-En (199-C-94) top-scored for the winners with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Lin Kuan-Chun (184-G-95) collected 17 points and 10 rebounds. Wang Chih-Chun (180-G-82) notched 16 and Lu Kuan-Hsuan (180-G-95) brought 10. Rodolfo Alejandro (180-G-95) replied with 22 points in the losing effort and Mario Bonleon (183-F-94) as well as Jerie Pingoy (175-G-94) poured in 15 each. Rey Nambatac (179-G-94) delivered 7 in the losing case.

Philippines U18: Rodolfo Alejandro 22, Mario Bonleon 15, Jerie Pingoy 15, Rey Nambatac 7
Taiwan U18: Fang Shih-En 21+11 rebs, Lin Kuan-Chun 17+10 rebs, Wang Chih-Chun 16, Lu Kuan-Hsuan 10


2012 William Jones Cup: Taiwan outscore Anyang KGC in the last game - by Eurobasket News

Taiwan- Anyang KGC 77:72

Taiwan outscore Anyang KGC in the last game of the 2012 William Jones Cup. The home side needed 77:72 win to tie both records at 5-3.
Anyang KGC started the game with 27-16 but could not win another quarter. Taiwan replied with 15-9 in the second frame and reduced to 5 points at the halftime. Both teams scored 20 points each in the third quarter, while the host erupted with 26-16 in the last stanza.
Lin Chih-Chieh (192-G-82) poured in 25 points to lead all the hosts. Tien Lei (202-F-83) nailed 22, while Mao Chia-En (195-F/G-82) followed them with 8 points. Pattillo Juan (197-F-88, college: W.Kentucky) collected 20 points and 19 caroms in the losing effort and Lee Jung-Hyun (191-F-87) added 17. Stutz Garrett (212-C-90, college: Wichita St.) finished the game with 10 points in a loss.
The Philippines won the tourney with a 7-1 record, dropping the only game to Lebanon.

Taiwan: Lin Chih-Chieh 25, Tien Lei 22, Mao Chia-En 8
Anyang KGC: Pattillo Juan 20+19 rebs, Lee Jung-Hyun 17, Stutz Garrett 10


Philippines beat UPG for Jones Cup gold - by Chris Wang

L.A. Tenerio made a go-ahead and winning jumper with 20 seconds left as the Philippines rallied in the second half to beat UPG 76-75 and clinch its first William Jones Cup tournament title in 14 years.

The Philippines outscored the Americans 25-16 in the final period and 53-41 in the second half, with the competition became a see-saw game since the latter half of the third period and both teams traded baskets until the last minute.

The Philippines won the tourney with a 7-1 record, dropping the only game to Lebanon. UPG finished with 5-3.

The Philippines last won the Jones Cup in 1998, when the Centennial Team took home its third Jones Cup title.


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  TURKEY   


Mehmet Yagmur signs with Olin Edirne - by Eurobasket News (T)

Mehmet Yagmur (188-PG-87) signs with Olin Edirne for the enxt season. The Turkish Point Guard comes from Besiktas where he averaged 3.5ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.1apg.
Earlier he played for Turk Telekom and had 7.3ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 47.6%, 3PT: 35.8%, FT: 73.9%.
The 22-year old Yagmur came to Ankara team from Tofas Bursa. He played 30 games in TBL collecting 8.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.1 apg and 1.2 spg. Tofas failed to reach the Playoffs as they finished as No.10 with 12-18 record. Before Tofas, Mehmet Yagmur played two years for Besiktas Cola Turka. He appeared 34 times in TBL during the 2008/09 season and averaged 7.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. His numbers drastically decreased in EuroCup, where Yagmur had 2.2 ppg and 2 apg for 6 games. In 2008 his Besiktas reached the ULEB Cup Quarterfinals. Yagmur helped his team with 2.9 ppg and 1.3 rpg for 15 games in this competition.
Mehmet Yagmur is a product of Karsiyaka SK Izmir, where he played until the end of 2006/07 season. In the past he was a member of Turkish U16, U18 and U20 National Team. Four years ago at U20 EuroBasket in Nova Gorica, Yagmur shined with 14.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 4 apg for 8 games.


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  UBA   


2012 William Jones Cup: Philippines beat USA to clinch the title - by Eurobasket News

Philippines - USA 76:75

Philippines earned William Jones Cup title. They defeated USA selection for the trophy. LA Tenorio (177-PG-84) dropped a late jumper to seal the victory for Philippines. USA fell at 5-3 record after the loss.
The North American team led one point after ten minutes 13:12. They stretched the lead in the second quarter. USA accumulated a 34:23 halftime lead. But Philippines picked up the tempo in the second half. They unloaded 28 points in the third term to narrow the gap at 8-point mark. Philippines unleashed 25 points in the final stanza and eked out a tough victory at the end. LA Tenorio delivered 20 points for Philippines. Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) added 17 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Wayne Arnold (193-G-84, agency: Top Notch Sports, college: Tennessee St.) and James Justice (177-PG-89, college: Martin Methodist) provided 17 points each for USA.

Philippines: LA Tenorio 20, Jeffrei Chan (192-F-83) 18, Marcus Douthit 17+12 boards
USA: Wayne Arnold 17, James Justice 17


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  UKRAINE   


Politekhnika-Halychyna overcame BKK Radnicki Beograd - by Eurobasket News

Politekhnika-Halychyna overcame BKK Radnicki Beograd 72:62. The Ukrainian team won the first period 18:15 and led 3 points at the halftime. Moreover Politekhnika-Halychyna added 19-17 in the third frame and finished the game with 14-9.
Next game Politekhnika-Halychyna will play again against the Serbian team on Wednesday. Some friendly games against the Russian and the German side the Ukrainian team had to postpone.
Mykolaiv meanwhile finished the first training camp in Tisovtsi. Last night the team went to Liepaja to play some friendlies with the International teams.
Azovmash went to Lithuania earlier last week. They will stay there until August 29th and then will head to Italy.


Dnipro defeat LKKA-Atletas in test clash - by Eurobasket News

Dnipro - LKKA-Atletas 86:65

Dnipro played their second friendly encounter during the training camp in Lithuaia. They took on LKKA-Atletas. The Ukrainian team proved the strength claiming a comfortable win. Daniel Kickert (208-C/F-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) delivered 24 points and 9 rebounds to lead the winners.
Dnipro gained a 21:11 lead after ten minutes. They maintained the lead throughout the second quarter posting a 45:35 halftime lead. Dnipro stretched the gap in the third quarter. They accumulated a 22-point lead heading into the fourth frame 67:45. LKKA-Atletas outscored their opponents in the final quarter but could not avoid the loss. Valdas Vasylius (203-F-83, college: ODU) and Misyats knocked down 13 points each for the winners. Edvinas Alunderis (202-F-92) answered with 16 points for LKKA-Atletas. Taurantas Tamosiunas (189-PG-92) netted 15 points in defeat.

Dnipro: Daniel Kickert 24, Valdas Vasylius 13, Olexandr Misyats (200-SF-92) 13
LKKA-Atletas: Edvinas Alunderis 16, Taurantas Tamosiunas 15


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  UNITED KINGDOM   


Huffman's High Hopes - by Jeff King

The Newcastle Eagles new point guard Damon Huffman (186-G-85) has a real challenge on his hands to come in and run a team that won all four domestic trophies last season in an amazing clean swoop.

However speaking with Eurobasket he appears to be fully up to that challenge and is well aware of the expectations on himself and his team. His level-headed and educated attitude seems to be a perfect fit for The Eagles.

How excited are you about coming to Newcastle and playing for The Eagles?

I think that the opportunity to play basketball in Newcastle for an organization like the Eagles is going to be a great experience. That being said, I am very excited to get started.

What attracted you to them?

Newcastle offers an organization of success and an opportunity to play against new competition, in a new country and a new league. All of which are very exciting as a basketball player and for myself.

Did coming to England play a part in your decision?

This will be my first time in England and the UK but I always find new places and cultures fascinating so I will definitely be looking forward to it.

The Eagles won all four domestic trophies last season, does that make it a daunting prospect joining such a successful organisation?

I believe that when you join a club and an organization that is as successful as Newcastle it helps bring out the best qualities in yourself. I personally have very high expectations and I think I will help compliment the team on its new journey this upcoming season.

What do you think you can bring to the Club on and off the court?

As a player I consider myself to be a tough hard-nosed, team-first guard. I am looking forward to playing with the team because my style is very complimentary. In the end I care about winning and the team, and I think of myself as someone who will do what it takes to do those things.

Being off the court, to me, is being a representative and extension of the club. I believe that being a positive role model is extremely important to the next generation of basketball players. Being involved in the community and adapting to the local culture are also very important and interesting.

What goals are you setting yourself for the season?

I think as a player you always have to have the highest personal goals, otherwise you are selling yourself short. Winning games is my priority and if you do that, then all the personal goals you set will fall into place.

Do you think the BBL matches up with the experience you've had in Belgium and Holland?

I cant yet compare the similarities, but I am looking forward to playing in the BBL.

What was it like playing in Belgium and Holland?

Belgium and Holland were very physical and defense orientated leagues. They both had quality teams with quality players. Playing there was great for experience, both for international competition and styles of play.

What was your impression of The Eagles in the Basketball Days Tournament last December?

When we played the Eagles, I remember smart, hard nosed, big shot making basketball. Even though my team came away with the win, the Eagles were tough competition.

Zwolle won the tournament and you won the MVP award, what was that like?

Winning the tournament and the MVP was a great experience and it was a lot of fun. Playing against teams outside your league is always good for perspective on where your team stands. It was also important for our team because we could take some of that confidence into league play.

Brown University? A very famous and important academic University in America, what was it like to attend?

Brown University was a one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life. It was challenging, and demanding because of the balance of sports and academics. They hold their academic and athletic expectations very high but allow you to make your own path of success. I attribute a lot of where I am today, to my experience at Brown and I would recommend anyone to attend if they could.

How did the basketball match-up in the Ivy League at Brown?

I believe the Ivy League, is a very underrated basketball conference. There is a lot of history, with Penn and Princeton, but hopefully schools like Brown, Harvard, and Cornell can continue to make a name for themselves against the bigger names in the NCAA.

You graduated from Brown with an excellent academic record, how do you think that will help you in the future and/or in your basketball career?

I think the ability to prepare and understand workloads is important in basketball. Over the course of a nine-month season you need to be able to manage your body, practice and game preparation. Hopefully my experience from Brown will continue to help me continually prepare for these things as well as whatever life brings after basketball.

Anything else you'd like to add?

See all of you in Newcastle soon!

It certainly appears from speaking with Huffman that he is aware of what is expected of him and he appears to have the confidence, commitment and belief that he can deliver what is required.


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  WILLIAM JONES CUP   


Philippines beat UPG for Jones Cup gold - by Chris Wang

L.A. Tenerio made a go-ahead and winning jumper with 20 seconds left as the Philippines rallied in the second half to beat UPG 76-75 and clinch its first William Jones Cup tournament title in 14 years.

The Philippines outscored the Americans 25-16 in the final period and 53-41 in the second half, with the competition became a see-saw game since the latter half of the third period and both teams traded baskets until the last minute.

The Philippines won the tourney with a 7-1 record, dropping the only game to Lebanon. UPG finished with 5-3.

The Philippines last won the Jones Cup in 1998, when the Centennial Team took home its third Jones Cup title.



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Women News


U17 Australia beats U17 Italy 58-49 for fifth place in Amsterdam - by Eurobasket News

U17 AUSTRALIA - U17 ITALY 58-49

It was a game for the fifth place at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. Australia was better than Italy 58-49 to end as No.5 at this event. Italy finished as the sixth ranked team. Alicia Froling (187-PF-96) paced Australia with 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Vanessa Panousis (170-PG-95) added 11 points and 13 boards. Panousis had poor shot percentage in this meeting (4/13 FG2, 0/5 3-pts). Louise Brown (183-F-95) collected 10 points and 10 rebs and actually she was the MVP of this game with valuation 21. At the other side, Elisa Penna (186-SG-95) responded with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Marzia Tagliamento (181-PF-96) had 11 points and Maria Barberis (175-SF-95) followed with 8 points, plus 7 rebs. Quarters: 14-9, 19-11, 18-15, 7-14. USA defended the gold medal in Amsterdam. They downed Spain 75-62 in the big final. The Bronze belongs to Canada.

Australia: Alicia Froling 12+7 boards, Vanessa Panousis 11+13 boards, Louise Brown 10+10 boards
Italy: Elisa Penna 12+9 boards, Marzia Tagliamento 11, Maria Barberis 8+7 boards


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  BELARUS   


U20 Ukraine cruises past U20 Belarus 79-62, takes 7th place in Debrecen - by Eurobasket News

U20 UKRAINE - U20 BELARUS 79-62

It was a game for the seventh place at U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. Ukraine had no troubles to beat Belarus with comfortable 79-62. So Ukraine ended as the 7th ranked team at this event, while Belarus in No.8. Ukraine was up by 3 at the halftime and jumped to plus 8 with one quarter left in the game. They drained 26 points for the last ten minutes, while limiting Belarus to 17, what was enough for comfortable win at the end. Alina Iagupova (186-G-92, agency: LBM Management) once again was a key player in Ukraine and she almost had triple-double in this game: 31 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists (valuation 31). Oleksandra Chek (191-C-93, agency: New Trend Agency) also was great adding 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) helped with 9 pts. In defeat, Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) shined with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Maryia Filonchyk (187-PF-92) had 12 points and 6 boards, while Alena Holubeva (176-PG-94) stopped to 8 pts and 5 rebs. Spain defended the title in Derbecen with 59-46 win over Russia. The Bronze belongs to Turkey.

Ukraine: Alina Iagupova 31+9 boards+8 as, Oleksandra Chek 14+15 boards, Miriam Uro-Nile 9
Belarus: Maryia Papova 23+10 boards, Maryia Filonchyk 12+6 boards, Alena Holubeva 8+5 boards


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  BELGIUM   


U17 Belgium takes 7th place in Amsterdam, Holland is No.8 - by Eurobasket News

U17 HOLLAND - U17 BELGIUM 65-70

Belgium was better than Holland 70-65 in the last day of FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. Thanks to this victory Belgium ended as the 7th ranked team at this event. Holland finished as No.8. Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-PG-95) was a key player in Belgium with 29 points and 6 rebounds, while An-Katrien Nauwelaers (178-PF-95) added 13 pts to this win. Their third scorer was Anneleen De Baets (157-PG-95) with 9 points. In Holland, Isabella Slim (181-SF-95) shined with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Klaziena Guijt (172-SG-95) scored 15 points and Laura Cornelius (173-PG-96) had 7 points, plus 5 rebounds. Belgium shined in the first ten minutes and after the breather to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 20-12, 8-21, 18-9, 24-23. USA defended the title in Amsterdam after 75-62 win over Spain in the big final. Canada won the bronze medal.

Holland: Isabella Slim 23+8 boards, Klaziena Guijt 15, Laura Cornelius 7+5 boards
Belgium: Hind Ben Abdelkader 29+6 boards, An-Katrien Nauwelaers 13, Anneleen De Baets 9


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  BRAZIL   


Washington Mystics bring in Brazilian Iziane Castro - by Eurobasket News (T)

Washington Mystics bring in Brazilian Iziane Castro Marques (6'0''-G/F-82, agency: Josep and Nicolas). A nine-year WNBA veteran, Castro Marques was added to the roster.
In 2011 she played for Atlanta Dream (WNBA) and in 42 games averaged 8.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 39.7%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 58.4%.
Earlier the Brazilian player was with Besiktas CT Istanbul and Wisla Krakow. In Poland she averaged 13.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 69.2% in Euroleague and in Polish League had 14.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 42.3%, FT: 62.8%.
The Brazilian international played in the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. She also had stints in Russia, Spain, Latvia and France during her European career. In 2008/2009 Iziane Castro Marques started in Villenueve averaging 15.4 points, 2.3 boards and 1.9 steals per game in Euroleague. Later she moved Extrugasa in Spain, where she notched 20.5 points, 3.8 boards and 1.6 assists per game in the LFB.


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  CANADA   


FIBA U17 World Championship: Canada beats Japan 84-77 in bronze medal game - by Eurobasket News

U17 CANADA - U17 JAPAN 84-77

Canada won the bronze medal at FIBA U17 World Championship. They outplayed Japan in the last day of the competition 84-77. Japan was up by 11 at the halftime, but Canada exploded in Q3 (28-12) to take 5-point lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. Canada was better in Q4 as well taking the bronze medal in Amsterdam. Quarters: 23-20, 17-31, 28-12, 16-14. Emma Wolfram (193-C-95) stepped up for Canada with 15 points and 15 rebounds. She reached valuation 29 and was the MVP of this game. Emily Potter (195-C-95) was their top scorer with 17 points and she also pulled down 11 rebounds for only 17 minutes on the court. Kia Nurse (177-PG-96) netted 14 pts in this meeting. At the other side, Japan got 27 points and 13 rebs from Yunika Nakamura (177-PF-95). Ai Yamada (167-SG-95) and Evelyn Mawuli (180-C-95) (9 rebs) posted 12 and 10 points respectively. Japan ended as the fourth ranked team at this event. USA defended the title thanks to 75-62 win over Spain.

Canada: Emily Potter 17+11 boards, Emma Wolfram 15+15 boards, Kia Nurse 14
Japan: Yunika Nakamura 27+13 boards, Ai Yamada 12+9 boards, Evelyn Mawuli 10+9 boards


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  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS U20   

Standings Div.B (Women) - by Eurobasket News

Standings Div.B
1. Greece7-1
2. Germany6-2
3. Hungary6-2
4. Romania4-4
5. Czech Rep.4-4
6. Israel3-5
7. Belgium3-5
8. Switzerland2-6
9. Bulgaria1-7

Preliminary Round: Round 9

Aug. 26: CZE - GRE 71-76
Aug. 26: BUL - GER 64-83
Aug. 26: HUN - BEL 56-41
Aug. 26: ROM - SUI 43-65


W-Standings - Group A

Standings
Group E
1. Sweden4-1
2. Spain4-1
3. Holland3-2
4. Belarus2-3
5. Poland2-3
6. Lithuania0-5
Group F
1. Turkey5-0
2. Ukraine3-2
3. France2-3
4. Russia2-3
5. Slovakia2-3
6. Serbia1-4
Group G (Places 13-16)
1. Italy6-0
2. Portugal3-3
3. Latvia3-3
4. U.Kingdom0-6

Finals: Round 9

G

Aug. 26: ITA - LAT 83-59

Places 7-8

Aug. 26: UKR - BLR 79-62

Bronze

Aug. 26: NED - TUR 56-58

G

Aug. 26: ENG - POR 54-62

Places 5-6

Aug. 26: SWE - FRA 46-66

FINAL

Aug. 26: RUS - ESP 46-59


Division A: Spain beats Russia in second straight final, defends the title Debrecen - by Eurobasket News

FINAL
Russia - Spain 46-59
Spain was too strong for Russia tonight 59-46 in the gold medal game at U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. It means that Spain defended the title which they won last summer in Novi Sad. A year ago Spain also outplayed Russia in the title game 62-53. Queralt Casas (180-G-92) stepped up for the winners tonight with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Laura Gil (190-C-92, agency: Josep and Nicolas) had double-double of 10 points and 16 boards, while Inmaculada Zanoguera (177-G/F-93) added 10 points and 6 rebs. Gil was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 21. In Russia, Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-F/C-93, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav) had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Yulia Poluyanova (187-F-92) posted 10 pts. Galina Kiseleva (184-F-93) followed them with 9 points and 8 boards. Spain limited Russia to just 4 points in Q1 and was up by 8 after it (12-4). Spain was constantly in charge for rest of the game. They jumped to plus 13 at the middle of Q4 and question about the winner was resolved. Quarters: 12-4, 14-15, 16-13, 17-14. Turkey won the bronze medal in Debrecen. Ksenia Tikhonenko is named MVP of the tournament.

Bronze
Holland - Turkey 56-58
Turkey won the bronze medal at U20 EuroBasket in Derbecen. They grabbed 58-56 thriller win against Holland in the last day of the competition. Turkey shined from the start making plus 7 in the first ten minutes and later they jumped to 40-28 until the halftime. Each of two teams scored 10 points in Q3 and than Holland took control on its rival. They cut the margin to 56-54 with 1:47 remaining in the game, but the ice-cool Emel Guler nailed the shot that ultimately won the game and ended what would have been an epic and fairytale finish for the crestfallen Dutch. It is important to mention that Holland came to minus 2 again and they missed two lay-ups and one jump shot in the last 36 seconds of the game. Ayse Cora (175-G/F-93) led Turkey with 17 points in this meeting. Olcay Cakir (180-PG-93) had 15 points and 6 assists, while Ecem Guler (189-PF-92) added 9 points and 9 rebs. In defeat, Sharon Lammerink (189-C-93) was better than the others with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Marlou De Kleijn (182-F-92, agency: Regeneracom Sports) and Richelle Van Der Keijl (196-C-93) (9 rebs) netted 14 and 10 points respectively. Holland was 0-18 from three-point range until the late intervention of Lammerink who hit three in a row during the last couple of minutes. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Russia.

Places 5-6
Sweden - France 46-66
France finished as the fifth ranked team of U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. They downed Sweden 66-46 in the last day of the competition. Sweden ended as No.6. Second quarter was the crucial on in this meeting as France limited its rival to just 3 points, while they drained 17 pts at the other side. Quarters: 17-12, 17-3, 15-17, 17-14. Christelle Diallo (193-C-93) led the winners with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Alice Nayo (186-C-93) (6 rebs) and Adja Konteh (173-G/F-92) helped with 10 points each. In the loosing squad, Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) (6 rebs) and Amanda Zahui (190-C-93) (5 rebs) scored 11 points apiece. Binta Drammeh (180-F-92) followed them with 6 points and 6 rebounds, with poor shot percentage. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Russia. Turkey won the bronze medal.

Places 7-8
Ukraine - Belarus 79-62
It was a game for the seventh place at U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. Ukraine had no troubles to beat Belarus with comfortable 79-62. So Ukraine ended as the 7th ranked team at this event, while Belarus in No.8. Ukraine was up by 3 at the halftime and jumped to plus 8 with one quarter left in the game. They drained 26 points for the last ten minutes, while limiting Belarus to 17, what was enough for comfortable win at the end. Alina Iagupova (186-G-92, agency: LBM Management) once again was a key player in Ukraine and she almost had triple-double in this game: 31 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists (valuation 31). Oleksandra Chek (191-C-93, agency: New Trend Agency) also was great adding 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) helped with 9 pts. In defeat, Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) shined with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Maryia Filonchyk (187-PF-92) had 12 points and 6 boards, while Alena Holubeva (176-PG-94) stopped to 8 pts and 5 rebs. Spain defended the title in Derbecen with 59-46 win over Russia. The Bronze belongs to Turkey.

Group G
Italy - Latvia 83-59
Italy survived in Division A of U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. They won Group G with perfect 6-0 record and that is enough for 13th place at this event. At the other side, Latvia finished as third ranked team in this pool (15th place) with 3-3 record. They will compete in Division B next summer. Italy shined in the second half of the game to beat Latvia on Sunday. Quarters: 13-10, 18-18, 24-12, 28-19. Caterina Dotto (167-PG-93) (5 rebs) and Irene Cigliani (177-F-92) scored 14 points each for the winners. Stella Panella (178-F-93) followed them with one point less. Dita Rozenberga (181-F-92) answered with 11 points and 6 rebs in defeat, while Krista Bridina (174-PG-94) had one point less than her. Guna Lagzdina (187-C-93) collected 9 points and 5 boards. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Sweden. The Bronze belongs to Turkey.

United Kingdom - Portugal 54-62
Both teams faced with relegation to Division B at U20 EuroBasket in Derbecen. Portugal finished as the second ranked team of Group G with 3-3 record, while UK closes the standings in this pool with 0-6. It means that Portugal ended as No.14 in Debrecen and UK is the last ranked team - No.16. Jessica Almeida (172-PG-93) led Portugal to victory in the final day with 20 points. Daniela Domingues (176-G/F-92) scored 18 and Vitoria Pacheco (179-C-92) added 8 points, plus 5 rebounds. In the loosing squad, Cheridene Green (187-C-95) was better than the others with double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Olufemi Hamilton (170-G-93) scored 12 points and starter Francesca Whitby (175-G-92) stopped to 7 pts, plus 5 boards. Spain defended the title in Debrecen. They handed 59-46 loss to Russia in the big final. Turkey won the bronze medal.


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  FRANCE   


U20 France outplays U20 Sweden in the battle for fifth place in Debrecen, 66-46 - by Eurobasket News

U20 SWEDEN - U20 FRANCE 46-66

France finished as the fifth ranked team of U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. They downed Sweden 66-46 in the last day of the competition. Sweden ended as No.6. Second quarter was the crucial on in this meeting as France limited its rival to just 3 points, while they drained 17 pts at the other side. Quarters: 17-12, 17-3, 15-17, 17-14. Christelle Diallo (193-C-93) led the winners with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Alice Nayo (186-C-93) (6 rebs) and Adja Konteh (173-G/F-92) helped with 10 points each. In the loosing squad, Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) (6 rebs) and Amanda Zahui (190-C-93) (5 rebs) scored 11 points apiece. Binta Drammeh (180-F-92) followed them with 6 points and 6 rebounds, with poor shot percentage. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Russia. Turkey won the bronze medal.

Sweden: Farhiya Abdi 11+6 boards, Amanda Zahui 11+5 boards, Binta Drammeh 6+6 boards
France: Christelle Diallo 13+7 boards, Alice Nayo 10+6 boards, Adja Konteh 10


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  HOLLAND   


U20 EuroBasket: Turkey grabs 58-56 thriller win over Holland in bronze medal game - by Eurobasket News

U20 HOLLAND - U20 TURKEY 56-58

Turkey won the bronze medal at U20 EuroBasket in Derbecen. They grabbed 58-56 thriller win against Holland in the last day of the competition. Turkey shined from the start making plus 7 in the first ten minutes and later they jumped to 40-28 until the halftime. Each of two teams scored 10 points in Q3 and than Holland took control on its rival. They cut the margin to 56-54 with 1:47 remaining in the game, but the ice-cool Emel Guler nailed the shot that ultimately won the game and ended what would have been an epic and fairytale finish for the crestfallen Dutch. It is important to mention that Holland came to minus 2 again and they missed two lay-ups and one jump shot in the last 36 seconds of the game. Ayse Cora (175-G/F-93) led Turkey with 17 points in this meeting. Olcay Cakir (180-PG-93) had 15 points and 6 assists, while Ecem Guler (189-PF-92) added 9 points and 9 rebs. In defeat, Sharon Lammerink (189-C-93) was better than the others with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Marlou De Kleijn (182-F-92, agency: Regeneracom Sports) and Richelle Van Der Keijl (196-C-93) (9 rebs) netted 14 and 10 points respectively. Holland was 0-18 from three-point range until the late intervention of Lammerink who hit three in a row during the last couple of minutes. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Russia.

Holland: Sharon Lammerink 15+10 boards, Marlou De Kleijn 14, Richelle Van Der Keijl 10+9 boards
Turkey: Ayse Cora 17, Olcay Cakir 15+6 as, Ecem Guler 9+9 boards


U17 Belgium takes 7th place in Amsterdam, Holland is No.8 - by Eurobasket News

U17 HOLLAND - U17 BELGIUM 65-70

Belgium was better than Holland 70-65 in the last day of FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. Thanks to this victory Belgium ended as the 7th ranked team at this event. Holland finished as No.8. Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-PG-95) was a key player in Belgium with 29 points and 6 rebounds, while An-Katrien Nauwelaers (178-PF-95) added 13 pts to this win. Their third scorer was Anneleen De Baets (157-PG-95) with 9 points. In Holland, Isabella Slim (181-SF-95) shined with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Klaziena Guijt (172-SG-95) scored 15 points and Laura Cornelius (173-PG-96) had 7 points, plus 5 rebounds. Belgium shined in the first ten minutes and after the breather to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 20-12, 8-21, 18-9, 24-23. USA defended the title in Amsterdam after 75-62 win over Spain in the big final. Canada won the bronze medal.

Holland: Isabella Slim 23+8 boards, Klaziena Guijt 15, Laura Cornelius 7+5 boards
Belgium: Hind Ben Abdelkader 29+6 boards, An-Katrien Nauwelaers 13, Anneleen De Baets 9


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  IRELAND   


Saint Joseph's Hawks win four of five on Tour of Ireland - by Eurobasket News

Saint Joseph's Hawks travelled to Ireland to play five friendly games with local teams. The Hawks celebrated four victories on the tour.
Saint Joseph's Uni opened their campaign against UL Aughinish team. The Hawks claimed a comfortable 80:48 victory at the end. Erin Shields (5'6''-G-91) and Chatilla Van Grinsven (6'2''-F-89) came up with 16 points each to lead the winners. The North American side outgunned their opponents 30:6 in the third term to clear off for good. Natasha Cloud (6'0''-G) accounted for 9 points in the victory.
Next Saint Joseph's team moved to Cork to take on Hotel Montenotte. And once again the visitors celebrated victory. This time the Hawks proved the strength claiming a 58:45 success. Kelsey Berger (5'11''-F) accounted for 11 points, while Ashley Prim (5'7''-G-91) and Chatilla Van Grinsven netted 10 points each in the victory.
The Hawks took on DCU Mercy in the third game on the tour. The visitors clinched a 65:53 win in Dublin. Erin Shields provided 15 points for the Hawks. Chatilla Van Grinsven contributed 11 points for the winners.
The fourth game was not successful for Saint Josephs University. They faced Irish Superleague Select Team and had to surrender 54:61 at the end. Ashley Robinson (6'2''-F-90) netted 15 points, while Chatilla Van Grinsven provided 14 points for the Hawks in the initial defeat.
The loss remained the only one on the tour as the Hawks posted a 72:53 victory against Barking Abbey in the final game. The North American side went on an 18:0 run to cap the contest sealing the victory. Natasha Cloud provided 12 points, while Shelby Smith and Sarah Fairbanks added 11 points apiece in the winning effort.


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  ITALY   


Meccanica Nova bring in Alice Nori - by Eurobasket News (T)

Meccanica Nova bring in Alice Nori (183-F/C-93) for the upcoming season. The Italian Power Forward / Center joins A2 team.
In 2007-2008 she appeared for Tecno Allarmi Cervia (A2) and stayed there for 2 seasons. In 2009-2010 moved to Vis Basket Cervia (A2) and in 2010-2011 for Vis Basket Cervia (A2) averaged 4.6ppg, 5.8rpg, 0.9spg, 0.9bpg. In 2011-2012 for Terme di Cervia (A2, starting five) her stats read 4.0ppg, 4.0rpg.
In 2009 Alice Nori was a member of the Italian U16 National Team. Later she was a Italian U18 National Team member in 2011. At the European Championships U18 in Oradea (Romania) she averaged 4.3ppg, 3.4rpg. This year Alice Nori is a Italian U20 National Team member. Right now she is with Italy U20 team in Hungary that celebrated its fourth straight victory in Group G of U20 EuroBasket. They downed Portugal 56-52 for 4-0 record in this pool. After this win Italy is very close to survival in Division A.


Valeria Carnemolla heads to Defensor Viterbo - by Eurobasket News (T)

Valeria Carnemolla (168-G/F-82) heads to Defensor Viterbo for the next season. The Italian Swingman arrives from Passalacqua Spedizioni Ragusa.
In 2007-2008 she appeared for Liomatic Umbertide (A2) and in 2008-2009 played for Castellani Pontedera (A2, starting five). In 2009-2010 joined Gruppo Sistemi 2000 Porto San Giorgio (A2, starting five). Later in 2010-2011 Valeria Carnemolla moved to Carpedil Battipaglia (A2, starting five) and in 14 games had 10.6ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.8apg, 2.5spg, 2FGP: 54.1%, 3PT: 20.6%, FT: 70.7%. In 2011-2012 srarted for Passalacqua Spedizioni Ragusa (A2) and showed 5.2ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.7spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3PT: 22.7%, FT: 58.8%. She recorded 15 points against Napoli BK in a 71:66 win.
In 2009 she was Italian A2 South Champion and in 2010 Italian A2 South Runner-Up.


U20 Italy survives in Division A, U20 Latvia is relegated - by Eurobasket News

U20 ITALY - U20 LATVIA 83-59

Italy survived in Division A of U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. They won Group G with perfect 6-0 record and that is enough for 13th place at this event. At the other side, Latvia finished as third ranked team in this pool (15th place) with 3-3 record. They will compete in Division B next summer. Italy shined in the second half of the game to beat Latvia on Sunday. Quarters: 13-10, 18-18, 24-12, 28-19. Caterina Dotto (167-PG-93) (5 rebs) and Irene Cigliani (177-F-92) scored 14 points each for the winners. Stella Panella (178-F-93) followed them with one point less. Dita Rozenberga (181-F-92) answered with 11 points and 6 rebs in defeat, while Krista Bridina (174-PG-94) had one point less than her. Guna Lagzdina (187-C-93) collected 9 points and 5 boards. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Sweden. The Bronze belongs to Turkey.

Italy: Caterina Dotto 14+5 boards, Irene Cigliani 14, Stella Panella 13
Latvia: Dita Rozenberga 11+6 boards, Krista Bridina 10, Guna Lagzdina 9+5 boards


U17 Australia beats U17 Italy 58-49 for fifth place in Amsterdam - by Eurobasket News

U17 AUSTRALIA - U17 ITALY 58-49

It was a game for the fifth place at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. Australia was better than Italy 58-49 to end as No.5 at this event. Italy finished as the sixth ranked team. Alicia Froling (187-PF-96) paced Australia with 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Vanessa Panousis (170-PG-95) added 11 points and 13 boards. Panousis had poor shot percentage in this meeting (4/13 FG2, 0/5 3-pts). Louise Brown (183-F-95) collected 10 points and 10 rebs and actually she was the MVP of this game with valuation 21. At the other side, Elisa Penna (186-SG-95) responded with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Marzia Tagliamento (181-PF-96) had 11 points and Maria Barberis (175-SF-95) followed with 8 points, plus 7 rebs. Quarters: 14-9, 19-11, 18-15, 7-14. USA defended the gold medal in Amsterdam. They downed Spain 75-62 in the big final. The Bronze belongs to Canada.

Australia: Alicia Froling 12+7 boards, Vanessa Panousis 11+13 boards, Louise Brown 10+10 boards
Italy: Elisa Penna 12+9 boards, Marzia Tagliamento 11, Maria Barberis 8+7 boards


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  JAPAN   


FIBA U17 World Championship: Canada beats Japan 84-77 in bronze medal game - by Eurobasket News

U17 CANADA - U17 JAPAN 84-77

Canada won the bronze medal at FIBA U17 World Championship. They outplayed Japan in the last day of the competition 84-77. Japan was up by 11 at the halftime, but Canada exploded in Q3 (28-12) to take 5-point lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. Canada was better in Q4 as well taking the bronze medal in Amsterdam. Quarters: 23-20, 17-31, 28-12, 16-14. Emma Wolfram (193-C-95) stepped up for Canada with 15 points and 15 rebounds. She reached valuation 29 and was the MVP of this game. Emily Potter (195-C-95) was their top scorer with 17 points and she also pulled down 11 rebounds for only 17 minutes on the court. Kia Nurse (177-PG-96) netted 14 pts in this meeting. At the other side, Japan got 27 points and 13 rebs from Yunika Nakamura (177-PF-95). Ai Yamada (167-SG-95) and Evelyn Mawuli (180-C-95) (9 rebs) posted 12 and 10 points respectively. Japan ended as the fourth ranked team at this event. USA defended the title thanks to 75-62 win over Spain.

Canada: Emily Potter 17+11 boards, Emma Wolfram 15+15 boards, Kia Nurse 14
Japan: Yunika Nakamura 27+13 boards, Ai Yamada 12+9 boards, Evelyn Mawuli 10+9 boards


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  LATVIA   


U20 Italy survives in Division A, U20 Latvia is relegated - by Eurobasket News

U20 ITALY - U20 LATVIA 83-59

Italy survived in Division A of U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. They won Group G with perfect 6-0 record and that is enough for 13th place at this event. At the other side, Latvia finished as third ranked team in this pool (15th place) with 3-3 record. They will compete in Division B next summer. Italy shined in the second half of the game to beat Latvia on Sunday. Quarters: 13-10, 18-18, 24-12, 28-19. Caterina Dotto (167-PG-93) (5 rebs) and Irene Cigliani (177-F-92) scored 14 points each for the winners. Stella Panella (178-F-93) followed them with one point less. Dita Rozenberga (181-F-92) answered with 11 points and 6 rebs in defeat, while Krista Bridina (174-PG-94) had one point less than her. Guna Lagzdina (187-C-93) collected 9 points and 5 boards. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Sweden. The Bronze belongs to Turkey.

Italy: Caterina Dotto 14+5 boards, Irene Cigliani 14, Stella Panella 13
Latvia: Dita Rozenberga 11+6 boards, Krista Bridina 10, Guna Lagzdina 9+5 boards


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  LUXEMBOURG   


T71 invite Lydia Bridenbaugh - by Eurobasket News (T)

T71 Dudelange have invited Lydia Bridenbaugh for a try-out period. The forward is expected to join T71 in September. Lydia Bridenbaugh has graduated from the West Virginia Wesleyan University. She averaged 22.8 points per game in her senior season. It was the second best result in NCAA Division II.


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  NCAA1   


Saint Joseph's Hawks win four of five on Tour of Ireland - by Eurobasket News

Saint Joseph's Hawks travelled to Ireland to play five friendly games with local teams. The Hawks celebrated four victories on the tour.
Saint Joseph's Uni opened their campaign against UL Aughinish team. The Hawks claimed a comfortable 80:48 victory at the end. Erin Shields (5'6''-G-91) and Chatilla Van Grinsven (6'2''-F-89) came up with 16 points each to lead the winners. The North American side outgunned their opponents 30:6 in the third term to clear off for good. Natasha Cloud (6'0''-G) accounted for 9 points in the victory.
Next Saint Joseph's team moved to Cork to take on Hotel Montenotte. And once again the visitors celebrated victory. This time the Hawks proved the strength claiming a 58:45 success. Kelsey Berger (5'11''-F) accounted for 11 points, while Ashley Prim (5'7''-G-91) and Chatilla Van Grinsven netted 10 points each in the victory.
The Hawks took on DCU Mercy in the third game on the tour. The visitors clinched a 65:53 win in Dublin. Erin Shields provided 15 points for the Hawks. Chatilla Van Grinsven contributed 11 points for the winners.
The fourth game was not successful for Saint Josephs University. They faced Irish Superleague Select Team and had to surrender 54:61 at the end. Ashley Robinson (6'2''-F-90) netted 15 points, while Chatilla Van Grinsven provided 14 points for the Hawks in the initial defeat.
The loss remained the only one on the tour as the Hawks posted a 72:53 victory against Barking Abbey in the final game. The North American side went on an 18:0 run to cap the contest sealing the victory. Natasha Cloud provided 12 points, while Shelby Smith and Sarah Fairbanks added 11 points apiece in the winning effort.


USA defends the title at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam - by Eurobasket News

U17 USA - U17 SPAIN 75-62

USA defended the title at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. They outplayed Spain 75-62 today in the Big Final. Rebecca Greenwell (6'1''-SG-95) was the leading player in victory with double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. She reached valuation 19 and was the MVP of this meeting. Diamond Deshields (6'1''-SF-95) collected 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, with bad shot percentage, while Lindsay Allen (5'8''-PG-95) added 13 points, 6 assists and 5 boards. In defeat, Marina Lizarazu (5'8''-PG-95) was better than the others with 19 points and Ariadna Pujol (6'0''-PG-95) scored 10. Maria Arrojo (6'1''-F-85) collected 9 points and 12 rebs. USA won the gold medal, while silver belongs to Spain. Americans had strong beginning and they were 22-8 up after ten minutes of play. USA jumped to 34-14 at the start of Q2, but than Spain drastically improved and closed the gap to 9 pts until the halftime. USA was up by 21 (52-31) at the middle of Q3, but Spain closed it with 17-6 run to stay in the game. Rebecca Greenwell and her teammates made crucial 10-2 run at the beginning of the last period and it was too much for Spain. Canada won the bronze medal in Amsterdam.
Diamond Deshields is MVP of the championship. USA had perfect score in Amsterdam and they were also undefeated two years ago.

USA: Rebecca Greenwell 13+12 boards, Diamond Deshields 13+8 boards+5 as, Lindsay Allen 13+6 as+5 boards
Spain: Marina Lizarazu 19, Ariadna Pujol 10, Maria Arrojo 9+12 boards


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  PORTUGAL   


U20 Portugal beats U20 UK 62-54, both teams face with relegation to Division B - by Eurobasket News

U20 UNITED KINGDOM - U20 PORTUGAL 54-62

Both teams faced with relegation to Division B at U20 EuroBasket in Derbecen. Portugal finished as the second ranked team of Group G with 3-3 record, while UK closes the standings in this pool with 0-6. It means that Portugal ended as No.14 in Debrecen and UK is the last ranked team - No.16. Jessica Almeida (172-PG-93) led Portugal to victory in the final day with 20 points. Daniela Domingues (176-G/F-92) scored 18 and Vitoria Pacheco (179-C-92) added 8 points, plus 5 rebounds. In the loosing squad, Cheridene Green (187-C-95) was better than the others with double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Olufemi Hamilton (170-G-93) scored 12 points and starter Francesca Whitby (175-G-92) stopped to 7 pts, plus 5 boards. Spain defended the title in Debrecen. They handed 59-46 loss to Russia in the big final. Turkey won the bronze medal.

UK: Cheridene Green 14+14 boards, Olufemi Hamilton 12, Francesca Whitby 7+5 boards
Portugal: Jessica Almeida 20, Daniela Domingues 18, Vitoria Pacheco 8+5 boards


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  PUERTO RICO   


Atleticas get first win in Ponce: - by Luis Modestti

Atleticas de San German got their first win of the season by winning over Leonas de Ponce 84-69.

Leonas had control of the first half by winning the first quarter 16-14 and a 32-29 lead after 20 minutes. Like in most of their loses, Ponce dropped the game in the second half.

Atleticas reacted in the second half starting it with an 8-3 run and never lost control of the scoreboard. They were led by Zuleimarie Sanchez (168-G-87) who had 20 points, 18 of them in the second half. Earnesia Williams followed with 19 points and 10 boards.

Leonas were led by Kristina Rosario who had 17 points with 19 rebounds. Ponce is in last place with a 0-4 record.

The action continues today as Juncos visits Quebradillas and Morovis goes to Carolina.


Quebradillas sits alone at the top: - by Luis Modestti

Mari Placido made a basket just as time expired to give Piratas de Quebradillas a 83-81 win over Valencianas de Juncos. This win puts Quebradillas on top of the league with a 3-0 record.

Cristina Centeno (173-G/F-90, college: Siena) scored 21 points and Becca Bruszewski 20 for the winners who were down in the first half 35-34.

After being down 81-78, Mellisa Lechlitner made a three-pointer to tie it and then came the winning basket from Placido.

Gatti Werema had 33 points and 15 rebounds for Valencianas.

Montaneras de Morovis defeated Gigantes de Carolina 69-68 in their debut this season.

Pamela Rosado (165-PG-86) had 19 points and made the basket that sealed the victory for her team.

Cynthia Valentin had 20 and Yolanda Jones 19 for Carolina who now has a 2-1 record.

The only game today is Tigresas de Aguas Buenas at Atleticas de San German.


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  RUSSIA   


U20 EuroBasket: Spain beats Russia in second straight final, defends the title Debrecen - by Eurobasket News

U20 RUSSIA - U20 SPAIN 46-59

Spain was too strong for Russia tonight 59-46 in the gold medal game at U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. It means that Spain defended the title which they won last summer in Novi Sad. A year ago Spain also outplayed Russia in the title game 62-53. Queralt Casas (180-G-92) stepped up for the winners tonight with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Laura Gil (190-C-92, agency: Josep and Nicolas) had double-double of 10 points and 16 boards, while Inmaculada Zanoguera (177-G/F-93) added 10 points and 6 rebs. Gil was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 21. In Russia, Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-F/C-93, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav) had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Yulia Poluyanova (187-F-92) posted 10 pts. Galina Kiseleva (184-F-93) followed them with 9 points and 8 boards. Spain limited Russia to just 4 points in Q1 and was up by 8 after it (12-4). Spain was constantly in charge for rest of the game. They jumped to plus 13 at the middle of Q4 and question about the winner was resolved. Quarters: 12-4, 14-15, 16-13, 17-14. Turkey won the bronze medal in Debrecen. Ksenia Tikhonenko is named MVP of the tournament.

Russia: Ksenia Tikhonenko 12+6 boards, Yulia Poluyanova 10, Galina Kiseleva 9+8 boards
Spain: Queralt Casas 17+5 boards, Laura Gil 10+16 boards, Inmaculada Zanoguera 10+6 boards


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  SERBIA   


TED Ankara signs Serbian National player Ana Dabovic - by Tamara Ruzic

Turkish club TED Ankara signed one year deal with Serbian shooting guard/small forward Ana Dabovic (183-G/F-89) for 2012/13.
Last season, Dabovic played for Wisla Can-Pack in Poland. Dabovic played 15 games, averaging 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 33 games: 1.1 assists in ELW, and 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in Polish league.
This summer Dabovic played the main role in Serbian national team to be qualified for EuroBasket Women 2013. She was their leading scorer with 14.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
TED Ankara are set to participate in EuroCup Women next season as well as the local Turkish league.
Dabovic was named All-EuroCup Guard of the Year -11 and All-EuroCup European Player of the Year -11.All-Russian Superleague 2nd Team -11 and Russian Superleague All-Bosmans Team -11 She also won Polish Cup Winner -12, Polish PLKK Champion -12, Albanian Cup Winner -08. Dabovic was member of the Montenegrin U18 National Team -07, Serbian U20 National Team -08-09, and member of the senior Serbian National team since 2010


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  SPAIN   


Itziar German stays with CB Conquero for the next season - by Eurobasket News (T)

Itziar German (184-F/C-86) stays with CB Conquero for the next season. The team announced the 5th player for 2012/2013 season.
In 2010-2011 for C.B. Conquero Huelva (LF2, starting five) her stats read 8.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 29.9%, FT: 75.3%. Last season she averaged 12.4ppg, 6.5rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 31.9%, FT: 76.2%.

Her first years she played for ROS CASARES VALENCIA (LFB), while in 2004-2005 moved to Yaya Maria Breogan Lugo (LFB, starting five) and in 23 games averaged 7.8ppg, 1.9rpg, 2FGP: 45.8%, 3FGP: 33.3%. In another season there she had 5.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.6spg, 2FGP: 37.6%, 3PT: 20.3%, FT: 60.0%. In 2006-2007 played for Arranz-Jopisa Burgos (LFB) and in 25 games showed 3.0ppg, 1.6rpg. In 2007-2008 headed to Duran Maquinaria Ensino Lugo (LF2, starting five) and in 26 games her stats read 13.5ppg, 6.7rpg, 2.0apg, 1.5spg, 2FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 69.0%. In 2008-2009 moved to Proffasa Badajoz Extremadura (LF2, starting five) and in 30 games had 9.0ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 32.0%, FT: 73.0%.
Earlier CB Conquero Huelva announced keeping Lidia Mirchandani (172-PG-76), Patricia Cabrera (176-PG-91), Nerea Raluy (174-G-93) and Ana Alonso (187-F-90).


U20 EuroBasket: Spain beats Russia in second straight final, defends the title Debrecen - by Eurobasket News

U20 RUSSIA - U20 SPAIN 46-59

Spain was too strong for Russia tonight 59-46 in the gold medal game at U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. It means that Spain defended the title which they won last summer in Novi Sad. A year ago Spain also outplayed Russia in the title game 62-53. Queralt Casas (180-G-92) stepped up for the winners tonight with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Laura Gil (190-C-92, agency: Josep and Nicolas) had double-double of 10 points and 16 boards, while Inmaculada Zanoguera (177-G/F-93) added 10 points and 6 rebs. Gil was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 21. In Russia, Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-F/C-93, agency: Ryzhov Stanislav) had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Yulia Poluyanova (187-F-92) posted 10 pts. Galina Kiseleva (184-F-93) followed them with 9 points and 8 boards. Spain limited Russia to just 4 points in Q1 and was up by 8 after it (12-4). Spain was constantly in charge for rest of the game. They jumped to plus 13 at the middle of Q4 and question about the winner was resolved. Quarters: 12-4, 14-15, 16-13, 17-14. Turkey won the bronze medal in Debrecen. Ksenia Tikhonenko is named MVP of the tournament.

Russia: Ksenia Tikhonenko 12+6 boards, Yulia Poluyanova 10, Galina Kiseleva 9+8 boards
Spain: Queralt Casas 17+5 boards, Laura Gil 10+16 boards, Inmaculada Zanoguera 10+6 boards


USA defends the title at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam - by Eurobasket News

U17 USA - U17 SPAIN 75-62

USA defended the title at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. They outplayed Spain 75-62 today in the Big Final. Rebecca Greenwell (6'1''-SG-95) was the leading player in victory with double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. She reached valuation 19 and was the MVP of this meeting. Diamond Deshields (6'1''-SF-95) collected 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, with bad shot percentage, while Lindsay Allen (5'8''-PG-95) added 13 points, 6 assists and 5 boards. In defeat, Marina Lizarazu (5'8''-PG-95) was better than the others with 19 points and Ariadna Pujol (6'0''-PG-95) scored 10. Maria Arrojo (6'1''-F-85) collected 9 points and 12 rebs. USA won the gold medal, while silver belongs to Spain. Americans had strong beginning and they were 22-8 up after ten minutes of play. USA jumped to 34-14 at the start of Q2, but than Spain drastically improved and closed the gap to 9 pts until the halftime. USA was up by 21 (52-31) at the middle of Q3, but Spain closed it with 17-6 run to stay in the game. Rebecca Greenwell and her teammates made crucial 10-2 run at the beginning of the last period and it was too much for Spain. Canada won the bronze medal in Amsterdam.
Diamond Deshields is MVP of the championship. USA had perfect score in Amsterdam and they were also undefeated two years ago.

USA: Rebecca Greenwell 13+12 boards, Diamond Deshields 13+8 boards+5 as, Lindsay Allen 13+6 as+5 boards
Spain: Marina Lizarazu 19, Ariadna Pujol 10, Maria Arrojo 9+12 boards


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  SWEDEN   


U20 France outplays U20 Sweden in the battle for fifth place in Debrecen, 66-46 - by Eurobasket News

U20 SWEDEN - U20 FRANCE 46-66

France finished as the fifth ranked team of U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. They downed Sweden 66-46 in the last day of the competition. Sweden ended as No.6. Second quarter was the crucial on in this meeting as France limited its rival to just 3 points, while they drained 17 pts at the other side. Quarters: 17-12, 17-3, 15-17, 17-14. Christelle Diallo (193-C-93) led the winners with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Alice Nayo (186-C-93) (6 rebs) and Adja Konteh (173-G/F-92) helped with 10 points each. In the loosing squad, Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) (6 rebs) and Amanda Zahui (190-C-93) (5 rebs) scored 11 points apiece. Binta Drammeh (180-F-92) followed them with 6 points and 6 rebounds, with poor shot percentage. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Russia. Turkey won the bronze medal.

Sweden: Farhiya Abdi 11+6 boards, Amanda Zahui 11+5 boards, Binta Drammeh 6+6 boards
France: Christelle Diallo 13+7 boards, Alice Nayo 10+6 boards, Adja Konteh 10


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  TURKEY   


U20 EuroBasket: Turkey grabs 58-56 thriller win over Holland in bronze medal game - by Eurobasket News

U20 HOLLAND - U20 TURKEY 56-58

Turkey won the bronze medal at U20 EuroBasket in Derbecen. They grabbed 58-56 thriller win against Holland in the last day of the competition. Turkey shined from the start making plus 7 in the first ten minutes and later they jumped to 40-28 until the halftime. Each of two teams scored 10 points in Q3 and than Holland took control on its rival. They cut the margin to 56-54 with 1:47 remaining in the game, but the ice-cool Emel Guler nailed the shot that ultimately won the game and ended what would have been an epic and fairytale finish for the crestfallen Dutch. It is important to mention that Holland came to minus 2 again and they missed two lay-ups and one jump shot in the last 36 seconds of the game. Ayse Cora (175-G/F-93) led Turkey with 17 points in this meeting. Olcay Cakir (180-PG-93) had 15 points and 6 assists, while Ecem Guler (189-PF-92) added 9 points and 9 rebs. In defeat, Sharon Lammerink (189-C-93) was better than the others with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Marlou De Kleijn (182-F-92, agency: Regeneracom Sports) and Richelle Van Der Keijl (196-C-93) (9 rebs) netted 14 and 10 points respectively. Holland was 0-18 from three-point range until the late intervention of Lammerink who hit three in a row during the last couple of minutes. Spain defended the title in Debrecen with 59-46 win over Russia.

Holland: Sharon Lammerink 15+10 boards, Marlou De Kleijn 14, Richelle Van Der Keijl 10+9 boards
Turkey: Ayse Cora 17, Olcay Cakir 15+6 as, Ecem Guler 9+9 boards


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  UKRAINE   


U20 Ukraine cruises past U20 Belarus 79-62, takes 7th place in Debrecen - by Eurobasket News

U20 UKRAINE - U20 BELARUS 79-62

It was a game for the seventh place at U20 EuroBasket in Debrecen. Ukraine had no troubles to beat Belarus with comfortable 79-62. So Ukraine ended as the 7th ranked team at this event, while Belarus in No.8. Ukraine was up by 3 at the halftime and jumped to plus 8 with one quarter left in the game. They drained 26 points for the last ten minutes, while limiting Belarus to 17, what was enough for comfortable win at the end. Alina Iagupova (186-G-92, agency: LBM Management) once again was a key player in Ukraine and she almost had triple-double in this game: 31 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists (valuation 31). Oleksandra Chek (191-C-93, agency: New Trend Agency) also was great adding 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Miriam Uro-Nile (190-C-94) helped with 9 pts. In defeat, Maryia Papova (186-PF-94) shined with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Maryia Filonchyk (187-PF-92) had 12 points and 6 boards, while Alena Holubeva (176-PG-94) stopped to 8 pts and 5 rebs. Spain defended the title in Derbecen with 59-46 win over Russia. The Bronze belongs to Turkey.

Ukraine: Alina Iagupova 31+9 boards+8 as, Oleksandra Chek 14+15 boards, Miriam Uro-Nile 9
Belarus: Maryia Papova 23+10 boards, Maryia Filonchyk 12+6 boards, Alena Holubeva 8+5 boards


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  UNITED KINGDOM   


U20 Portugal beats U20 UK 62-54, both teams face with relegation to Division B - by Eurobasket News

U20 UNITED KINGDOM - U20 PORTUGAL 54-62

Both teams faced with relegation to Division B at U20 EuroBasket in Derbecen. Portugal finished as the second ranked team of Group G with 3-3 record, while UK closes the standings in this pool with 0-6. It means that Portugal ended as No.14 in Debrecen and UK is the last ranked team - No.16. Jessica Almeida (172-PG-93) led Portugal to victory in the final day with 20 points. Daniela Domingues (176-G/F-92) scored 18 and Vitoria Pacheco (179-C-92) added 8 points, plus 5 rebounds. In the loosing squad, Cheridene Green (187-C-95) was better than the others with double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Olufemi Hamilton (170-G-93) scored 12 points and starter Francesca Whitby (175-G-92) stopped to 7 pts, plus 5 boards. Spain defended the title in Debrecen. They handed 59-46 loss to Russia in the big final. Turkey won the bronze medal.

UK: Cheridene Green 14+14 boards, Olufemi Hamilton 12, Francesca Whitby 7+5 boards
Portugal: Jessica Almeida 20, Daniela Domingues 18, Vitoria Pacheco 8+5 boards


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  WNBA   


Latest games (6): Sparks win ninth straight rout Liberty 87-62 - by Eurobasket News

L.Angeles S. - New York L. 87-62
Kristi Toliver (5'7''-PG-87, college: Maryland) scored 26 points and Candace Parker (6'4''-C-86, college: Tennessee) added 12 points, five rebounds and four blocks to help the Los Angeles Sparks win their ninth straight game with an 87-62 victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday night. The Sparks (19-6) led wire-to-wire and got another excellent game from Toliver, who scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. Toliver, coming off a career-high tying 29-point game, made back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead to 77-58 and another to make it 82-60. L.A.'s last nine-game win streak was in 2003, when it started the season 9-0. Parker scored 10 points in the second half after she missed seven of her first eight shots of the game and DeLisha Milton-Jones added 12 points. Nneka Ogwumike, the WNBA's leading scorer and rebounder, briefly left the game in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury but returned and finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Toliver has played a big part of this streak and she sees the cohesiveness in the post-Olympic break. "When you win, it's easy for people to identify their roles and accept their roles," Toliver said. "Obviously during this win streak, people have been able to get a feel for what their supposed to do, and doing it well. Finally, everybody has embraced their role and (they) understand their role and know what they need to bring. We're a very tough team to beat when we're all on the same page and we understand that." Toliver went 5 for 8 from 3-point range and is 11 for 15 over the past two games. "I'm kind of accustomed to (seeing) it now," Ogwumike said of Toliver. "She still leaves my jaw dropping. Having a scorer like that - I wouldn't even call her a shooter, she's a scorer. Being able to play off of someone like that is remarkable." Cappie Pondexter led the Liberty (9-14) with 20 points. Plenette Pierson added 16 points and 10 rebounds for New York, which did not get any closer than 56-54 in the third quarter. The Liberty, which made 13 3-pointers on Thursday, went 4 for 17 from 3-point range and shot 37 percent from the field. New York coach John Whisenant wasn't pleased with his team's 19 turnovers and its inability to attack the Sparks' zone. "Much of it was our inability to properly attack the zone," Whisenant said. "That leads to frustration. And we didn't penetrate. They're long, lengthy and athletic and they're a good team. "Our two losses since the (Olympic) break have both been high-turnover games. When we've taken care of the ball, we've won. You can give L.A. credit or give us un-credit." Pondexter sank three jumpers during a 14-4 run in the third quarter that brought New York to 56-54 on Alex Montgomery's layup off a Sparks turnover. But L.A. pulled ahead to 65-57 on a corner 3-pointer by Alana Beard and a left hand layup by Parker after Marissa Coleman saved it from going out of bounds. New York wouldn't get any closer than that in the fourth quarter. Whisenant thought his team's fourth game in eight days was a factor but added they were running into a hot L.A. team. Whisenant was impressed with Toliver. "She always could shoot," Whisenant said. "We have a mismatch there with Leilani (Mitchell) and if I put a bigger defender on (her) to bother her more, we're not as efficient running our offense. It's a chess game that we lost tonight." The Sparks took a 45-38 lead into halftime despite giving up 22 points in the paint with Parker on the bench for most of the second quarter. The Liberty outrebounded the Sparks, 21-15, in the first half and recorded 12 assists on 15 field goals. Pondexter brought New York to 33-32 on a 3-pointer before L.A. ended the first half on a 12-6 run. Jantel Lavender scored six of those 12, including a bank shot in the paint and a baseline jumper. Toliver scored 10 of the Sparks' 25 first quarter points. New York pulled to 19-18 on Leilani Mitchell's 3-pointer but Milton-Jones came back with a 3-pointer. Alana Beard forced a turnover on New York's next possession and Toliver sank a 3-pointer for a 25-18 lead. *Courtesy of http://online.wsj.com

Atlanta D. - Minnesota L. 74-84
Seimone Augustus (6'0''-SF-84, college: LSU) kept the Minnesota Lynx rolling. Angel McCoughtry (6'1''-SF-86, college: Louisville) kept the Atlanta Dream wondering. Augustus scored 23 points, Rebekkah Brunson added 21 and the Minnesota Lynx won their sixth straight game with an 84-74 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday night. The victory at Phillips Arena was Minnesota's first since sweeping Atlanta in the WNBA finals last year. McCoughtry, who began the game leading the league with a 22.7 scoring average, finished with 14 points. McCoughtry did not play in the past two games because of personal reasons and was held out of the starting lineup. Dream coach Marynell Meadors declined to elaborate about McCoughtry's situation. Meadors said she considers McCoughtry to be at full strength. "She played," Meadors said. "She played the game tonight. I guess she is. She wouldn't be in the game if she was not, OK? All I can say is that she played tonight." After helping the U.S. women's basketball win a gold medal at the Olympics earlier this month, McCoughtry scored a combined 47 points in a win at Chicago and a loss at Indiana before missing the next two games. She did not travel with the team in Atlanta's win Friday at Washington. "I asked coach for a couple of days off so I could get myself together," McCoughtry said. "She allowed me to do that, so I'm grateful for that." McCoughtry, whom Meadors made the WNBA's No. 1 overall draft pick in 2009, was held out of the starting lineup in a home victory June 15 over Los Angeles for breaking an unspecified team rule. Her 20 minutes played marked a season low in a game during which she was not injured. Meadors, who worked as an assistant coach at the Olympics, said McCoughtry should be ready to help Atlanta make another playoff run. The Dream were also runners-up in 2010 WNBA finals. "She doesn't have her legs under her, that's for sure," Meadors said. "She was a little winded, and I thought that hurt her not being out in practice and everything last week." Sancho Lyttle added 14 points for Atlanta, which had won two straight and three of four. Augustus, the MVP of last year's finals, scored eight points in the third quarter. She hit 17-foot jump shots on consecutive possessions to push Minnesota's lead to 63-54 at the 3:20 mark. Minnesota improved the WNBA's best record to 19-4. The Lynx are 8-3 on the road. The Dream never led after Augustus' 18-footer from the right baseline made it 43-42 with 1:24 left in the second. Maya Moore, who led nearby Collins Hill High School to three consecutive state titles before starring on two national championship teams at Connecticut, finished with 14 points. Lindsay Whalen added 13 points with a game-high eight assists. Tiffany Hayes scored 12 and Cathrine Kraayeveld added 12 for the Dream, who dropped to 12-12 overall, 6-5 at home. McCoughtry thought the game turned in Minnesota's favor when the Lynx shut down passes inside to forwards Sancho Lyttle, Tiffany Hayes and center Erika de Souza. "We should've got the ball back inside because that's where we were killing at the beginning," McCoughtry said. "Next time if we play them, we've definitely got to take advantage of getting the ball inside and maintaining that the whole game." Meadors thought her players were exhausted after playing five games in eight days. "It was a matchup of the finals last year," Meadors said. "I thought we played well considering we played last night and traveled. We got up at 3:30 this morning to travel here." McCoughtry hopes she will be in the starting lineup Tuesday when Atlanta hosts Tulsa. "I felt like I didn't really have my legs tonight like I wanted to," McCoughtry said. "I'll be OK, though, once I get back in the flow of things." *Courtesy of ESPN

S.Antonio SS - Tulsa S. 91-71
Jia Perkins (5'8''-G-82, agency: Merit Sports, college: Texas Tech) scored 21 points and Danielle Adams added 18 to lead the Silver Stars to a 91-71 victory over the Tulsa Shock on Saturday night. Sophia Young (6'1''-F-83, college: Baylor) added 15 points and Becky Hammon 13 for San Antonio (17-6). Riquna Williams led Tulsa (4-19) with 17 points and Ivory Latta added 15. They were the only two players in double figures. Two days after having their 12-game winning streak snapped by the Sparks in Los Angeles, San Antonio extended its home winning streak to nine. The Silver Stars only loss at home came in their opener May 30 against Chicago. San Antonio outscored Tulsa 47-25 in the second and third quarters in securing its ninth straight victory over the Shock. Tulsa took its largest lead at 15-12 in the first on Latta's free throw to complete a four-point play. Latta was fouled on a 3-pointer by Robinson, although replays showed no contact. Williams scored seven of Tulsa's final 10 points in the first quarter after entering with 4 minutes left. She hit a 3-pointer and sprinted for two layups, including one with 4 seconds left to pull within 27-25 after the first quarter. The Silver Stars turned the tables to open the second quarter, using their speed to sprint by and around the Shock for an 11-2 run. Perkins' free throw completed a three-point play after she was fouled on a layup. The play gave San Antonio a 36-27 lead and prompted a timeout by Shock coach Gary Kloppenburg. The break did little to slow San Antonio. Adams scored San Antonio's next eight points following the timeout. The Silver Stars extended their lead to as many as 23 points in the third quarter. They made four 3-pointers and outrebounded Tulsa 20-7 in the third. Perkins' 3-pointer gave San Antonio a 70-50 lead with 2 minutes left in the third. *Courtesy of www.ksat.com

Phoenix M. - Indiana F. 72-85
Briann January (5'8''-PG-87, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Arizona St.) scored 22 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Indiana Fever to an 85-72 win over Phoenix on Saturday night, handing the Mercury their 10th straight loss. Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79, college: Purdue) added 16 points and six rebounds for Indiana (14-8), which has won four of its last five games and moved three games behind first-place Connecticut in the Eastern Conference. Diana Taurasi, in just her third game with the Mercury (4-19) this season, scored 19 points. It was Taurasi's first game for Phoenix since leading the U.S. to a fifth straight gold medal at the Olympics. The Fever ran off seven straight points early in the fourth quarter to pull away after Phoenix had gotten within 62-56 with 9:33 remaining. *Courtesy of www.kpho.com

Washington M. - Atlanta D. 69-81
Atlanta didn't even need Olympic gold medalist Angel McCoughtry, thanks to Washington's mistakes. Armintie Price (5'9''-G-85, agency: LBM Management, college: Mississippi) paced five double-figure scorers with 19 points and the Dream climbed above .500 for the first time this season with an 81-69 victory over the Mystics on Friday night. Tiffany Hayes and Lindsey Harding each scored 16 points for the Dream (12-11). Atlanta established an early double-digit lead by repeatedly forcing turnovers in the first quarter and shooting 56.8 percent from the field before halftime. McCoughtry, the WNBA's leading scorer, sat out for personal reasons, according to Dream coach Marynell Meadors. "She's day to day. We're very hopeful that she gets back pretty soon,'' said Meadors, who doubles as Atlanta's general manager and thus is responsible for putting together a roster able to overcome such a high-level absence. "I've always said we've got a lot of depth on this team. Right now, when you're playing without a person scoring 22 a game, somebody else steps up,'' Meadors said. "Armintie Price stepped up tonight with 19 points and we had great balance. We created a lot of turnovers and when you do that you can go down and shoot some layups and a high percentage.'' Matee Ajavon scored 16 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter and Crystal Langhorne had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Mystics (5-18). Washington has lost four of five since returning from the Olympic break, including two straight. Second in the league in turnovers entering the game, the Mystics, committed 18 - nine in the first quarter - which led to 25 Atlanta points. The Dream finished with 40 points in the paint. "If you can't take care of the ball, you can't make shots,'' said Washington's Monique Currie. "We can't get shots, we're not getting back on defense. They had a layup clinic.'' Sancho Lyttle scored 14 points and Catherine Kraayeveld added 10 for the Dream. Atlanta led by 13 points after the first quarter and held its largest lead at 68-40 with 1:40 left in the third quarter on Kraayeveld's 3-pointer. "When you have that many people scoring in double figures, it's extremely, extremely hard to guard,'' Harding said. "I think that has made us a better team.'' Led by Ajavon's four late 3-pointers, Washington outscored Atlanta 25-13 in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 77-69 inside the final minute but would get no closer. "It was pretty tough to come back from that deficit,'' Ajavon said. "That loss is pretty hard.'' Atlanta claimed consecutive victories for the first time since taking three straight from June 24-29 and established a winning record for the first time in seven attempts this season. The Dream took control in the early minutes, closing the first quarter on a 13-2 run for a 25-12 lead. Both teams shot at least 55 percent from the field, but the Dream had 20 shot attempts compared to the Mystics' seven - or two less than Washington's turnovers in the quarter. Harding, who played for Washington's last two playoff teams from 2008-09, scored the final four points of the first quarter. Her fadeaway jumper capped the second quarter scoring as Atlanta led 49-33 at halftime. Opening the second half, the Mystics committed turnovers on their first two possessions while the Dream made five straight shots, extending the lead to 61-35. Price, Little and Hayes each finished with three steals. "This team loves to play defense,'' Meadors said. "They love to get interceptions, they love to get steals and they love to shoot layups.'' Currie finished with 14 points for the Mystics. The meeting was the first of four scheduled between the Eastern Conference foes this season. *Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Tulsa S. - Chicago S. 81-78 OT
Riquna Williams (5'7''-PG-90, college: Miami, FL) scored eight of her 22 points in the final 3:17 of regulation to help the Tulsa Shock overcome an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter en route to an 81-78 overtime victory over the Chicago Sky on Friday night. Williams' long jumper with 46.4 left in overtime sealed the game for the Shock (4-18). "Coach Klop (Gary Kloppenburg) talked to me about being consistent and patient," Williams said. "He told me not to settle for 3-pointers. He reminds me that not many can guard me and I have to use that to my advantage." Tulsa ended a five-game losing streak with its first victory since July 8. "It feels good," Kloppenburg said. "These guys really deserve it. They played so hard. It's great that we finally got (the victory). We've had so many close games and to get over the hump is huge. Q (Williams) is kind of a streaking player but when she gets going like that, you have to leave her out there." Roneeka Hodges made two free throws with 9.3 seconds left in regulation to force the extra period. She added a 3-pointer in overtime and finished with a season-high 22 points. "We've battled hard all year," Hodges said. "We deserve this win tonight. Over my eight-year career, I've played a lot of different roles. I came into Tulsa after the trade just wanting to show who I am. Coming in here is a great opportunity." Jennifer Lacy added 15 points for the Shock, and rookie Glory Johnson finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Courtney Vandersloot (5'8''-G-89, college: Gonzaga) led Chicago (8-14) with 23 points. Shay Murphy added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Swin Cash and Epiphanny Prince finished with 11 apiece. Chicago has lost nine in a row. The Shock played turnover-free in the first and fourth quarters. "That was the key," Kloppenburg said. "We forced 21 turnovers and scored 28 points off it. Roneeka has been a great addition to our team. She's settled in." *Courtesy of ESPN


Latest games: Fever hand Mercury 10th straight loss - by Diamadis Farmakis

Briann January scored 22 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Indiana Fever to an 85-72 win over Phoenix on Saturday night, handing the Mercury their 10th straight loss.

Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79, college: Purdue) added 16 points and six rebounds for Indiana (14-8), which has won four of its last five games. Also, Fever moved three games behind first-place Connecticut in the Eastern Conference

Diana Taurasi, in just her third game with the Mercury (4-19) this season, scored 19 points. It was Taurasi's first game for Phoenix since leading the U.S. to a fifth straight gold medal at the Olympics.

Taurasi missed the first half of the season while recovering from a hip flexor. Once she returned from the Olympic break, she was sidelined when a wisdom tooth was removed.

Even with their star back, Phoenix couldn't end its skid.

The Fever ran off seven straight points early in the fourth quarter to pull away after Phoenix had gotten within 62-56 with 9:33 remaining. Indiana hit 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter to lengthen their lead.

Tamika Catchings had 12 points, six assists and two blocked shots for Indiana. Jessica Davenport added 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. The Fever led by as much as 10 in the first half but Taurasi hit a 3-pointer 15 seconds into the second half to cut the Fever lead to 35-34.

However, Shavonte Zellous sparked a 7-0 run and the Mercury never got closer than four.

Indiana, which is on pace to set a league mark in 3-pointers this season, made 9-of-20 from outside the line.

DeWanna Bonner had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Mercury, who again played without three injured regulars. Phoenix regulars Candice Dupree (knee), Alexis Gray-Lawson (knee) and Charde Houston (ankle) all sat out on Thursday with injuries. Penny Taylor has missed the entire season while recovering from a torn ACL injury.


Washington Mystics bring in Brazilian Iziane Castro - by Eurobasket News (T)

Washington Mystics bring in Brazilian Iziane Castro Marques (6'0''-G/F-82, agency: Josep and Nicolas). A nine-year WNBA veteran, Castro Marques was added to the roster.
In 2011 she played for Atlanta Dream (WNBA) and in 42 games averaged 8.8ppg, 1.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 39.7%, 3PT: 34.4%, FT: 58.4%.
Earlier the Brazilian player was with Besiktas CT Istanbul and Wisla Krakow. In Poland she averaged 13.3ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 46.8%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 69.2% in Euroleague and in Polish League had 14.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.0apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 51.6%, 3PT: 42.3%, FT: 62.8%.
The Brazilian international played in the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. She also had stints in Russia, Spain, Latvia and France during her European career. In 2008/2009 Iziane Castro Marques started in Villenueve averaging 15.4 points, 2.3 boards and 1.9 steals per game in Euroleague. Later she moved Extrugasa in Spain, where she notched 20.5 points, 3.8 boards and 1.6 assists per game in the LFB.


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  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS U17   


USA defends the title in Amsterdam, again undefeated - by Eurobasket News

FINAL
USA - Spain 75-62
USA defended the title at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. They outplayed Spain 75-62 today in the Big Final. Rebecca Greenwell (6'1''-SG-95) was the leading player in victory with double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. She reached valuation 19 and was the MVP of this meeting. Diamond Deshields (6'1''-SF-95) collected 13 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, with bad shot percentage, while Lindsay Allen (5'8''-PG-95) added 13 points, 6 assists and 5 boards. In defeat, Marina Lizarazu (5'8''-PG-95) was better than the others with 19 points and Ariadna Pujol (6'0''-PG-95) scored 10. Maria Arrojo (6'1''-F-85) collected 9 points and 12 rebs. USA won the gold medal, while silver belongs to Spain. Americans had strong beginning and they were 22-8 up after ten minutes of play. USA jumped to 34-14 at the start of Q2, but than Spain drastically improved and closed the gap to 9 pts until the halftime. USA was up by 21 (52-31) at the middle of Q3, but Spain closed it with 17-6 run to stay in the game. Rebecca Greenwell and her teammates made crucial 10-2 run at the beginning of the last period and it was too much for Spain. Canada won the bronze medal in Amsterdam.
Diamond Deshields is MVP of the championship. USA had perfect score in Amsterdam and they were also undefeated two years ago.

Bronze
Canada - Japan 84-77
Canada won the bronze medal at FIBA U17 World Championship. They outplayed Japan in the last day of the competition 84-77. Japan was up by 11 at the halftime, but Canada exploded in Q3 (28-12) to take 5-point lead with ten minutes remaining in the game. Canada was better in Q4 as well taking the bronze medal in Amsterdam. Quarters: 23-20, 17-31, 28-12, 16-14. Emma Wolfram (193-C-95) stepped up for Canada with 15 points and 15 rebounds. She reached valuation 29 and was the MVP of this game. Emily Potter (195-C-95) was their top scorer with 17 points and she also pulled down 11 rebounds for only 17 minutes on the court. Kia Nurse (177-PG-96) netted 14 pts in this meeting. At the other side, Japan got 27 points and 13 rebs from Yunika Nakamura (177-PF-95). Ai Yamada (167-SG-95) and Evelyn Mawuli (180-C-95) (9 rebs) posted 12 and 10 points respectively. Japan ended as the fourth ranked team at this event. USA defended the title thanks to 75-62 win over Spain.

Places 5-6
Australia - Italy 58-49
It was a game for the fifth place at FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. Australia was better than Italy 58-49 to end as No.5 at this event. Italy finished as the sixth ranked team. Alicia Froling (187-PF-96) paced Australia with 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Vanessa Panousis (170-PG-95) added 11 points and 13 boards. Panousis had poor shot percentage in this meeting (4/13 FG2, 0/5 3-pts). Louise Brown (183-F-95) collected 10 points and 10 rebs and actually she was the MVP of this game with valuation 21. At the other side, Elisa Penna (186-SG-95) responded with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Marzia Tagliamento (181-PF-96) had 11 points and Maria Barberis (175-SF-95) followed with 8 points, plus 7 rebs. Quarters: 14-9, 19-11, 18-15, 7-14. USA defended the gold medal in Amsterdam. They downed Spain 75-62 in the big final. The Bronze belongs to Canada.
Places 7-8
Holland - Belgium 65-70
Belgium was better than Holland 70-65 in the last day of FIBA U17 World Championship in Amsterdam. Thanks to this victory Belgium ended as the 7th ranked team at this event. Holland finished as No.8. Hind Ben Abdelkader (170-PG-95) was a key player in Belgium with 29 points and 6 rebounds, while An-Katrien Nauwelaers (178-PF-95) added 13 pts to this win. Their third scorer was Anneleen De Baets (157-PG-95) with 9 points. In Holland, Isabella Slim (181-SF-95) shined with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Klaziena Guijt (172-SG-95) scored 15 points and Laura Cornelius (173-PG-96) had 7 points, plus 5 rebounds. Belgium shined in the first ten minutes and after the breather to take the victory in this meeting. Quarters: 20-12, 8-21, 18-9, 24-23. USA defended the title in Amsterdam after 75-62 win over Spain in the big final. Canada won the bronze medal.