Eurobasket Daily News Report: 2/8/2013 4:04:01 AM

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 2/8/2013 4:04:01 AM

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Men News

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AUSTRALIA

Hawks sign Mirko Djeric - by Hugh McAuliffe

The Wollongong Hawks have added current Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder, Mirko Djeric (191-PG-95) to the roster for the remainder of the 2012/13 NBL Season.

The 17 year old guard was part of the U17 Australian Emus team that came away with the silver medial at the 2012 U17 FIBA World Championships. One of Australia's top young prospects, Mirko will be looking forward to the opportunity of being part of an NBL program and at such an early age.

With three season ending injuries (Rhys Martin, Lance Hurdle & Glen Saville) to the Hawks already this season and a number of players nursing injuries for the remainder of the season, the Wollongong NRE Hawks felt that it was best to bring in another player to provide another option and to be an integral part of the program for the rest of the season.

"Mirko is a talented Australian junior who is really looking forward to being part of our Hawks program for the remainder of the season. He brings youth, enthusiasm and talent that will help us at training and games." Head Coach Gordie McLeod said.

"We see a tremendous upside in Mirko, this is a great opportunity for him to continue his development with the Hawks and in a professional environment. We look forward to him contributing to the program and helping his teammates finish the season off strongly" McLeod added.

Mirko grew up in Sydney and has a proud Serbian heritage, he has been based in Canberra for the past two years as an AIS scholarship holder. Currently he is attending the AIS in his third season as well as the 2013 U19 FIBA World Championship squad and NSW U20 state team that will compete in the Australian U20 National Championships later this month in Tasmania.

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BELGIUM

Antwerp Giants Coaches News - by Peter Buyse

Port of Antwerp Giants will be coach by someone other than Eddy Casteels for the first time in 5 years when next year Paul Vervaeck takes over;
According to the team's press release, the contract of coach Casteels will not be renewed at the end of this season and coach Verhaeck has signed for 2 seasons starting with the 2013-2014 season. Vervaeck had a long career at Bree where he coached from November 97 till Feb 2004. He then left Belgium and headed to Holland to coach Den Helder for close to 2 seasons. He returned back to Belgium to coach Falco St Amandsberg before again leaving and taking the coaching job in Luxemburg at Contern for the 2007-2008 season. The past 5 years he was head-coach in D2, for Kangoeroes Boom (4 years) and Fleurus this season. The coach of the U-20 Belgian National team was voted coach of the year in 2001.

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BOSNIA

Standings - D2 Leagues

Division II Standings

1.Liga RS
1. HEO		11-0
2. Gradanski		8-3
3. Bratunac		7-4
4. Gacko		6-5
5. Drina Birac		5-5
6. Prijedor		5-5
7. Feniks		5-6
8. Sutjeska		5-6
9. Rogatica		3-8
10. Jahorina		2-8
11. Rudar		2-9
A1 Liga
1. Spars Sarajevo		12-1
2. Sloboda Tuzla		11-2
3. Play Off		10-3
4. Gradina S.		7-6
5. Celik		7-6
6. Student		6-7
7. Bosnjak		6-7
8. Brcko		6-7
9. Spars Mostar		5-8
10. Limometal		3-10
11. Orlovik		3-10
12. Donji Vakuf		2-11
Liga Herceg-Bosne
1. Vitez		8-0
2. Brotnjo		6-2
3. Student M.		5-3
4. Siroki II		4-4
5. Busovaca		4-4
6. Kiseljak		3-5
7. Livno		3-5
8. Grude		2-6
9. Rama		1-7

Ivan Begic in tryout with KK SPARS - by Chris Mathieu

Ivan Begic is currently in a tryout with KK SPARS! The former player of HKK POSUSJE is looking for a new club and is currently trying to see if he would be a good reinforcement for KK SPARS which is trying to get to D1 of the Bosnian League next season.

Ivan has played very well for Posusje averaging 15.8ppg shooting 62.1 from 2 and 34.8 from 3His free throw shooting is very bad at 57.9 but it appears to be more mental than physical at this point. Ivan has flashed a solid all-around game averaging 3.6rbpg and 3.0 aspg and 1.3slpg. He is a solid prospect who could turn into a decent player in Europe if given quality coaching and continued commitment to the game and improving and refining his skills.

Rising Bosnian star Ognjen Kuzmic with another brilliant game! - by Nedzad Kladusak

There are no doubts in BIH. Ognjen Kuzmic (215-C-90) is in a great shape and he could be one of the key players in the rows of BIH NT.
Yesterday Joventud played abroad against Valladolid of his NT teammate Nedzad Sinanovic. Like in the first game in this season Valladolid prevailed but again Ognjen Ogi Kuzmic
played a brilliant game recording another double-double of 18 points and 14 boards in only 29 minutes for a total of 24 index points. Ognjen currently averages 8 points and 6,5 rebounds per game which will make him a top contender for the MIP title in Spain.
On the other end Nedzad Sinanovic picked up 2 PF in the first two minutes which took him out of the game very early. It is very interesting that both Ognjen and Nedzad played during their careers for Zenica Celik.
It seems to clear that Kuzmic will be in the starting five with Mirza Teletovic, Nihad Djedovic and Zack Wright this summer in Slovenia with plenty of minutes.
However his games have drawn attention of KSS and he is under immense pressure of Serbian bloggers to commit to Serbia and it is up to Ognjen whether he will play for his home country or for Serbia.

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BRAZIL

Lauriberto Brocco is the new head coach of Jacarei - by Paulo Freire

The Jacarei Basketball/Fibria/JTU/Ativia basketball team will be under new management as of 2013. During the election held last week, the businessman Flavio Carloto Ferreira dos Santos was elected as their new President of the club, Valter Gama Filho will be their vice-president.

The team also announced this Wednesday, the hiring of a new head coach for the 2013-2014 season. Deco did not renew his contract with the team and the managers act fast and sign Lauriberto Brocco , who will takes over the team command. Brocco was coaching the Lins Basquete team.

The team also sign a new player, the american Milton Garner (185-G-90, college: Cameron) who was playing at Joinville and was release by the team.

Costa's double-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News

31-year old power forward Daniel Costa (204-F/C-81) had an amazing evening in the last round for Vila Velha and receives a Latinbasket.com Player of the Week award for round 21.
He had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while his team beat Limeira (#11, 9-10) 72-64. The game rather meaningless between the teams, which do not have any influence on the top of the standings. Vila Velha is placed at 14th position in Brazilian league. Too late to salvage the team, which is currently ranked such low. They already lost 14 games and recorded just six victories. It was one of impressive evenings for Costa as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Costa has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (9th best: 5.0rpg).

Second best performed player last round was Babby Araujo (211-C-80) of Mogi das Cruzes. He is former international center in his first season at Mogi das Cruzes. In the last game Araujo recorded impressive double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds. Bad luck as Mogi das Cruzes lost that game 68-83 to slightly lower-ranked Tijuca TC (#16, 4-16). The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Mogi das Cruzes dropped in the standings to 15th position. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-14 record. Araujo is a newcomer at Mogi das Cruzes and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Jefferson Antonio (207-F/C-83) of S.Jose/Unimed (#10). Antonio scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite Antonio's great performance S.Jose/Unimed lost 82-84 to the league's current leader Flamengo (#1, 21-0). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of S.Jose/Unimed ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 11 games, recording just ten victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Antonio could help S.Jose/Unimed to bring them higher in the standings. Antonio has a great season in Brazil. After 15 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 19.3ppg (5th best) and rebounds with 7.5rpg (7th best). He also has 1.1bpg, FGP: 58.9% and 3PT: 40.9%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jefferson Agba (209-F/C-80) of Bauru - 22 points and 6 rebounds
5. Valtinho Silva (187-G-77) of Uberlandia - 10 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists
6. Alexandre Pinheiro (185-G-85) of Vila Velha - 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists
7. Robert Day (197-F-82) of Uberlandia - 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Jhonatan Luz dos Santos (196-F/G-87) of Franca - 19 points and 4 rebounds
9. Caleb Brown (182-G-87) of Palmeiras - 24 points and 2 rebounds
10. Rashaun McLemore (195-G/F-86) of Tijuca TC - 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists

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

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CANADA

CIS Standings

CIS Standings

Atlantic
1. Cape Breton		15-0
2. Acadia		12-3
3. UPEI		8-6
4. Dalhousie		8-8
5. St.Francis X.		7-8
6. St.Mary's		6-10
7. New Brunsw.		4-11
8. Memorial		1-15
CanWest Pacific Division
1. UBC		16-2
2. Victoria		13-5
3. UFV		10-8
4. TWU		9-9
5. TRU		6-13
6. UNBC		5-13
7. Mount Royal		3-15
8. UBC Okanagan		3-16
CanWest Prairie Division
1. Alberta		14-4
2. Saskatchewan		13-5
3. Manitoba		13-6
4. Calgary		11-7
5. Winnipeg		11-8
6. Lethbridge		9-9
7. Regina		6-12
8. Brandon		4-14
OUA East
1. Carleton		16-1
2. Ryerson		14-2
3. Ottawa		13-4
4. Queen's		10-8
5. Laurentian		9-8
6. York		6-11
7. Toronto Univ.		2-14
8. RMC		0-0
OUA West
1. Windsor		14-3
2. Lakehead		12-5
3. McMaster		11-7
4. Brock		7-11
5. Guelph		5-13
6. Laurier		5-13
7. Waterloo		4-14
8. Western		2-16
Quebec League
1. Bishop's		8-4
2. McGill		8-4
3. Concordia		7-5
4. UQAM		4-8
5. Laval		3-9

Regular Season: Round 30

Feb. 6: McMaster - Guelph 91-65
Feb. 6: Waterloo - Western 83-66
Feb. 6: Dalhousie - St.Mary''s 82-65
Feb. 7: St.Francis X. - Acadia 70-86
Feb. 6: Laurier - Brock 70-80
Feb. 7: Laval - McGill 53-68

Regular Season: Round 31

Feb. 8: UPEI - New Brunsw.
Feb. 8: Carleton - Ryerson
Feb. 8: Ottawa - Toronto Univ.
Feb. 8: Laurentian - Queen''s
Feb. 8: Lakehead - Windsor
Feb. 8: Manitoba - Saskatchewan
Feb. 8: Brandon - Calgary
Feb. 8: Winnipeg - Alberta
Feb. 8: Mount Royal - Victoria
Feb. 8: Regina - Lethbridge
Feb. 8: UNBC - UBC
Feb. 8: TWU - UBC Okanagan
Feb. 8: UFV - TRU

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Stephon LAMAR
  Saskatch.
  (185-G-)
  Avg: 22.2

1. Lamar, Saskatch.	22.2
2. Allin, Laurier	22.1
3. Freeman, UFV	21.4
4. Ogungbemi-J., Calg.	20.4
5. Dorsey, Cape Bret.	20.3
6. Otieno, Alberta	20.2
7. Hill, Toronto Univ.	20.1
8. Faulkner, Queen''s	19.9
9. Perrin, TWU	19.8
10. Dunn, St.Francis	19.7

Rebounds Per Game

Owen KLASSEN
  Acadia
  (208-F-91)
  Avg: 11.6

1. Klassen, Acadia	11.6
2. Waldner, Lethb.	11.5
3. Ezenibe, St.Mary''s	11.3
4. Kamen, UBC	10.5
5. Phillip, Windsor	10.4
6. Salhia, Lakehead	10.1
7. Burns, Saskatch.	9.6
8. Eyitayo, Concordia	9.5
9. Allin, Laurier	9.4
10. Burns, Regina	9.2

Assists Per Game

Andrew CUNNINGHAM
  Winnipeg
  (186-G-)
  Avg: 7.6

1. Cunningham, Winnip.	7.6
2. Hebert, Regina	5.7
3. Dorsey, Cape Bret.	5.4
4. Lamar, Saskatch.	4.9
5. Walton, Manitoba	4.9
6. York, UFV	4.8
7. Bonhomme, Brandon	4.6
8. Allin, Laurier	4.4
9. Collins, Windsor	4.4
10. Jones, Ryerson	4.3

Steals Per Game

Jimmy DORSEY
  Cape Breton
  (188-G-)
  Avg: 3.9

1. Dorsey, Cape Bret.	3.9
2. Evans, Victoria	3.4
3. Walton, Manitoba	2.8
4. Parchment, UFV	2.8
5. Baker, Alberta	2.7
6. Perrin, TWU	2.7
7. Daley, New Brunsw.	2.7
8. Donkoh, St.Franc.	2.5
9. Baker, Saskatch.	2.4
10. Smith, UPEI	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Thijin MOSES
  Calgary
  (201--)
  Avg: 2

1. Moses, Calgary	2.0
2. Andrews, Bishop''s	1.9
3. Eyitayo, Concordia	1.8
4. Duke, UPEI	1.6
5. Dewar, Alberta	1.6
6. Chesson, Laurier	1.4
7. O''Brien, New B.	1.4
8. Luby, Brock	1.4
9. Salhia, Lakehead	1.4
10. Noel, Manitoba	1.3

CIS Round 30: Tigers beat Huskies in a derby game - by Eurobasket News

The Regular Season in CIS is slowly approaching the end. But there may be still some important changes in the final standings in the last 7 rounds.

The most interesting game was a derby match between two local teams from Halifax, NS: Tigers (#5) and Huskies (#6). Tigers (8-8) smashed visiting Huskies (6-10) by 17 points 82-65. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Huskies. The hosts trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 82-65. Tigers held Huskies to an opponent 0.0 percent shooting from the field compared to 46.7 percent accuracy of the winners. They outrebounded Huskies 31-0 including a 23- advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was guard guard Jumol Mullings (185) (185) who scored 17 points. Jarred Reid chipped in 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Tigers' coach John Campbell used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was guard guard Jumol Mullings (185) (185) who recorded 17 points. Tigers moved-up to fourth place. Huskies at the other side keep the sixth position with ten games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game in Quebec City, QC was also worth to mention about. Second ranked Redmen (8-4) played at the court of 5th ranked Rouge et Or (3-9). Redmen defeated Rouge et Or 68-53. It was a good game for forward Nathan Joyal (198) who led his team to a victory with 17 points and 5 rebounds (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Tejour Riley contributed with 10 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Redmen's coach David DeAveiro allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Naturalized Bosnian forward Boris Hadzimuratovic (204-91, college: High School) replied with 15 points for Rouge et Or. Redmen keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Bishop's. Rouge et Or at the other side keeps the fifth place with nine games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game in Antigonish, NS was also quite interesting. Second ranked Axemen (12-3) played at the court of 5th ranked X-Men (7-8). Axemen defeated X-Men 86-70 on Thursday. Owen Klassen had a double-double by scoring 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was Jeremy Dunn with 21 points. X-Men's coach rotated eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Axemen have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 12-3 record having six points less than leader Bishop's. Loser X-Men keeps the fifth place with eight games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game in Waterloo, ON was also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Badgers (7-11) played at the court of 6th ranked Golden Hawks (5-13). Badgers defeated Golden Hawks 80-70. Jameson Tipping notched a double-double by scoring 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the effort. Golden Hawks' coach tested ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Badgers maintains fourth position with 7-11 record. Golden Hawks at the other side dropped to the fifth place with 13 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Hamilton, ON. Local Marauders (11-7) outscored 5th ranked Gryphons (5-13) 91-65 on Wednesday night. The best player for the winners was Nathan Mccarthy who had a double-double by scoring 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Marauders have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 11-7 record having four points less than leader Bishop's, which they share with Calgary. Gryphons lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 13 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

In the last game of round 30 Western were defeated by Waterloo in Waterloo, ON 83-66.
The best stats of 30th round was 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists by Mike Helsby of Waterloo.

Laval - McGill 53-68

The game in Quebec City, QC was also worth to mention about. Second ranked Redmen (8-4) played at the court of 5th ranked Rouge et Or (3-9). Redmen defeated Rouge et Or 68-53. The game was mostly controlled by Redmen. Rouge et Or was better in fourth quarter 18-10. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They made 16-of-18 charity shots (88.9 percent) during the game. Redmen outrebounded Rouge et Or 37-26 including 25 on the defensive glass. It was a good game for forward Nathan Joyal (198) who led his team to a victory with 17 points and 5 rebounds (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Bermudas guard Tejour Riley (193-94) contributed with 10 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Redmen's coach David DeAveiro allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Naturalized Bosnian forward Boris Hadzimuratovic (204-91, college: High School) replied with 15 points and Karl Demers-Belanger added 13 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) in the effort for Rouge et Or. Redmen keeps a position of league leader, which they share with Bishop's. Rouge et Or at the other side keeps the fifth place with nine games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
McGill: N.Joyal 17+5reb, T.Riley 10+7reb+2ast, V.Dufort 8+6reb+3ast, A.Bross 7+1reb+1ast, G.Duffley 7+6reb+3ast, S.Bibeau 7+3reb+3ast
Laval: B.Hadzimuratovic 15+2reb, K.Demers-Belanger 13+1reb+2ast, K.Amrani 9+2reb, A.Guilard 7+5reb, A.Beaumier 4+6reb+2ast, T.Dezutter 3+3reb+1ast

St.Francis X. - Acadia 70-86

The game in Antigonish, NS was also quite interesting. Second ranked Axemen (12-3) played at the court of 5th ranked X-Men (7-8). Axemen defeated X-Men 86-70 on Thursday. The guests trailed by 7 points at the halftime before their 47-24 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Axemen made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. The former international forward Owen Klassen (208-91) had a double-double by scoring 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and forward Bradley States (198) chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Five Axemen players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was forward Jeremy Dunn (196) with 21 points and Australian forward Shane Coupland (196-89) scored 11 points and 6 rebounds. X-Men's coach rotated eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Axemen have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 12-3 record having six points less than leader Bishop's. Loser X-Men keeps the fifth place with eight games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Acadia: O.Klassen 20+15reb+2ast, B.States 15+6reb+1ast, T.Scott 15+4reb+2ast, A.Ashe 12+5reb, A.Sears 11+1reb+1ast, L.Gale 4+2reb+2ast
St.Francis X.: J.Dunn 21+4reb+1ast, S.Coupland 11+6reb, W.Donkoh 8+5reb+4ast, J.Clarke 7+5reb+2ast, T.Vernon 5+5reb, K.Rasenberg 5+1reb

Waterloo - Western 83-66

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 8th ranked Mustangs' (2-16) road loss to seventh ranked Warriors (4-14) 66-83 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Warriors. Mustangs was better in second period 18-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The best player for the winners was naturalized British swingman Mike Helsby (195-89) who scored 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Forward Wells Davis (196) chipped in 20 points. Four Warriors players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was guard George Johnson who recorded 18 points and 6 rebounds and guard Quinn Henderson (193) added 16 points respectively. Mustangs' coach let to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Warriors maintains seventh position with 4-14 record, which they share with Brandon. Mustangs lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 16 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Waterloo: M.Helsby 25+8reb+6ast, W.Davis 20+3reb+2ast, G.Jaspreet 15+5reb+2ast, W.Bridge 11+3reb+4ast, B.Smith 6+5reb+1ast, D.Buchanan 4+3reb
Western: G.Johnson 18+6reb+1ast, Q.Henderson 16+4reb+1ast, A.Jespersen 11+3reb+3ast, E.Dooley 7+2reb+2ast, R.Higgins 4+4reb+1ast, J.Hutchcroft 4+6reb

Laurier - Brock 70-80

The game in Waterloo, ON was also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Badgers (7-11) played at the court of 6th ranked Golden Hawks (5-13). Badgers defeated Golden Hawks 80-70. It looked good early as Golden Hawks took an 6-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Badgers had a 26-15 second period charge getting the lead and Golden Hawks were not able to take back game control losing it eventually 70-80. American guard Jameson Tipping (201, college: W.Kentucky) notched a double-double by scoring 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the effort and forward Mike Luby (213) supported him with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks. Four Badgers players scored in double figures. Even a double-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists by guard Maxwell Allin (193) did not help to save the game for Golden Hawks. Guard Jamar Forde (190) added 20 points and 5 rebounds. Golden Hawks' coach tested ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Badgers maintains fourth position with 7-11 record. Golden Hawks at the other side dropped to the fifth place with 13 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Brock: J.Tipping 21+14reb+2ast, M.Luby 18+7reb, I.Egueh 17+3reb+3ast, D.Mukendi 13+2reb+2ast, T.Kasamba 6+4reb, M.Williams 3+3reb
Laurier: J.Forde 20+5reb+1ast, A.Walters 16+5reb, M.Allin 16+12reb+4ast, W.Coulthard 8+3reb+5ast, M.Chesson 5+6reb+1ast, G.Thomas 3+5reb

McMaster - Guelph 91-65

The game with biggest result difference took place in Hamilton, ON. Local Marauders (11-7) outscored 5th ranked Gryphons (5-13) 91-65 on Wednesday night. The game without a history. Marauders led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Gryphons' 40 and made 23-of-30 free shots (76.7 percent) during the game. Marauders forced 23 Gryphons turnovers and outrebounded them 42-26 including a 32-21 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was center Nathan Mccarthy (203) who had a double-double by scoring 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Guard Joe Rocca (193) chipped in a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds. Four Marauders players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Trevor Thompson (196) who recorded 13 points and 6 rebounds and guard Zachary Angus (185) added 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists respectively. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Marauders have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 11-7 record having four points less than leader Bishop's, which they share with Calgary. Gryphons lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 13 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
McMaster: T.Black 20+6reb+1ast, N.Mccarthy 16+13reb, J.Rocca 16+10reb+2ast, A.Presutti 10+1reb+2ast, A.Redpath 6+2reb+5ast, S.Laws 6+3reb+1ast
Guelph: T.Thompson 13+6reb, K.Malcolm 13+3reb+1ast, A.Haroon 9+4reb, Z.Angus 8+5reb+4ast, J.Beatty 8+1reb+1ast, A.Kemp 6+1reb

Dalhousie - St.Mary''s 82-65

The most interesting game was a derby match between two local teams from Halifax, NS: Tigers (#5) and Huskies (#6). Tigers (8-8) smashed visiting Huskies (6-10) by 17 points 82-65. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Huskies. The hosts trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 82-65. Tigers held Huskies to an opponent 0.0 percent shooting from the field compared to 46.7 percent accuracy of the winners. They outrebounded Huskies 31-0 including a 23- advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was guard guard Jumol Mullings (185) (185) who scored 17 points. Jarred Reid chipped in 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Tigers' coach John Campbell used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was guard guard Jumol Mullings (185) (185) who recorded 17 points and Jarred Reid added 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists respectively. Tigers moved-up to fourth place. Huskies at the other side keep the sixth position with ten games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

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

CHINA

Standings - CBA

CBA Standings

1. Guangdong ST		26-4
2. Shandong FB		23-7
3. Beijing Ducks		21-9
4. Xinjiang FT		19-11
5. Liaoning H.		18-12
6. Zhejiang CB		16-14
7. DongGuan L.		16-14
8. Guangsha L.		16-15
9. Shanxi Zh.		15-15
10. Bayi R.		14-16
11. Foshan LL		13-17
12. Jiangsu D.		12-18
13. Fujian QB		10-20
14. TianJin S.		10-20
15. Jilin NE T.		10-21
16. Shanghai S.		9-21
17. Qingdao E.		8-22

Regular Season: Round 32

Feb. 6: DongGuan L. - Shandong FB 94-117
Feb. 6: Fujian QB - Beijing Ducks 90-99
Feb. 5: TianJin S. - Guangdong ST 76-110
Feb. 6: Liaoning H. - Foshan LL 128-122
Feb. 6: Guangsha L. - Shanxi Zh. 122-121
Feb. 5: Qingdao E. - Zhejiang CB 113-114
Feb. 6: Bayi R. - Jilin NE T. 102-88
Feb. 6: Jiangsu D. - Xinjiang FT 102-112

Regular Season: Round 33

Feb. 15: Jiangsu D. - Shanxi Zh.
Feb. 15: Zhejiang CB - Xinjiang FT
Feb. 15: Shanghai S. - Jilin NE T.
Feb. 15: DongGuan L. - Qingdao E.
Feb. 15: Bayi R. - Liaoning H.
Feb. 15: Guangdong ST - Shandong FB
Feb. 15: Foshan LL - Beijing Ducks
Feb. 15: Fujian QB - TianJin S.

Stats Leaders - CBA

Points Per Game

Shavlik RANDOLPH
  Foshan LL
  (208-F-83)
  Avg: 32.8

1. Randolph, Foshan	32.8
2. Douby, Zhejiang CB	32.3
3. Gaines, Shanxi Zh.	31.5
4. Williams, Shanxi Z.	30.9
5. Akognon, Liaoning.	30.4
6. Forbes, Guangsha	29.6
7. Marbury, Beijing	29.5
8. Daniels, Qingdao E.	29.4
9. Spencer, Jilin N.	28.7
10. Haislip, DongGuan.	27.8

Rebounds Per Game

Donnell HARVEY
  TianJin S.
  (203-F/C-80)
  Avg: 16.6

1. Harvey, TianJin S.	16.6
2. Gaines, Shanxi Zh.	15.1
3. Randolph, Foshan	14.7
4. Li, Liaoning H.	13.2
5. Wang, Fujian QB	13.0
6. Harris, Jiangsu D.	12.5
7. Abbas, Shandong FB	11.7
8. Daniels, Qingdao E.	11.6
9. Siler, Jiangsu D.	11.2
10. Ramos, Guangsha	11.1

Assists Per Game

Osama DAGHLES
  TianJin S.
  (198-G-79)
  Avg: 9.4

1. Daghles, TianJin S.	9.4
2. Lu, Shanxi Zh.	6.0
3. Jeter, Shandong FB	5.6
4. Marbury, Beijing	5.3
5. McGrady, Qingd.	5.2
6. Williams, Shanxi Z.	5.2
7. Qahwash, Jiang.	4.7
8. Forbes, Guangsha	4.7
9. Gaines, Fujian QB	4.7
10. Liu, Shanghai S.	4.6

Steals Per Game

Dewarick SPENCER
  Jilin N.
  (193-G-82)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Spencer, Jilin N.	2.6
2. Douby, Zhejiang CB	2.5
3. Hu, Jiangsu D.	2.3
4. Jeter, Shandong FB	2.3
5. Abbas, Shandong FB	2.2
6. Zhong, Jilin NE T.	2.2
7. Marbury, Beijing	2.2
8. Han, Bayi R.	2.1
9. Co, Xinjiang FT	2.0
10. Gaines, Shanxi Zh.	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Hamady N''DIAYE
  Ti.
  (213-C-87)
  Avg: 4

1. N''Diaye, Ti.	4.0
2. Zhang, Shanghai S.	2.8
3. Siler, Jiangsu D.	2.0
4. Daniels, Qingdao E.	1.9
5. Yi, Guangdong ST	1.8
6. Morris, Beijing Du.	1.6
7. Yan, Shanxi Zh.	1.5
8. Haislip, DongGuan.	1.5
9. Vroman, Shandong.	1.5
10. Han, Liaoning H.	1.5

CBA Round 32: Top-ranked Guandong Tigers win another game - by Eurobasket News

There are only two more rounds left in the Regular Season in CBA.

CBA top team - Guandong Tigers (26-4) had no problems winning another game on Tuesday. This time they crushed fourteenth ranked TianJin Steel (10-20) in Tianjin 110-76. The game without a history. Guandong Tigers led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 20-of-26 free shots (76.9 percent) during the game. Guandong Tigers forced 21 TianJin Steel turnovers. 25 personal fouls committed by TianJin Steel helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. International Jianlian Yi (212-87) orchestrated the victory by scoring 28 points and 8 rebounds. International FangYu Zhu (201-83) contributed with 18 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Center Lei Xu (207-88) replied with 15 points and 7 rebounds for TianJin Steel. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Guandong Tigers maintains first position with 26-4 record. TianJin Steel lost ninth consecutive game. They dropped to the thirteenth place with 20 games lost. They share the position with Fujian QB. Guandong Tigers are looking forward to face league's second-placed Shandong Bulls in Jinan in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. TianJin Steel will play on the road against Fujian (#13) in Jinjiang and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in DongGuan supposed to be also worth to mention about. Second ranked Shandong Bulls (23-7) played at the court of 6th ranked DongGuan Leopards (16-14). Shandong Bulls smashed DongGuan Leopards 117-94. American players dominated the game. Worth to mention a great performance of point guard Pooh Jeter (180-83, college: Portland) who helped to win the game recording 34 points (!!!), 5 rebounds and 4 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) and Jackson Vroman who added 21 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks during the contest. point guard Blake Ahearn (188-84, college: Missouri St.) responded with 32 points and 7 assists (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!). Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shandong Bulls have an impressive 15-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 23-7 record having just three points less than leader Guangdong ST. DongGuan Leopards at the other side keep the sixth place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Zhejiang CB. Shandong Bulls will play against league's leader Guandong Tigers in Dongguan in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. DongGuan Leopards will play at home against Qingdao Eagles (#17) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Seventeenth-ranked Qingdao Eagles (8-22) used its home court advantage to challenge seventh ranked Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank (16-14) on Tuesday. The visitors from Hangzhou managed to secure only one-point victory 114-113. However their fans expected much easier game. American players dominated also this game. The winners were led by Quincy Douby who scored that evening 31 points and 5 assists. Even a double-double of 31 points and 12 rebounds by Chris Daniels did not help to save the game for Qingdao Eagles. Qingdao Eagles' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank moved-up to sixth place, which they share with DongGuan L. Loser Qingdao Eagles stay at the bottom position with 22 games lost. Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank will meet at home higher ranked Xinjiang Flying Tige (#4) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Qingdao Eagles will play against DongGuan Leopards (#7) and hope to secure a win.
A very interesting game took place in Hangzhou. It ended with only one-point defeat on the road of 8th ranked Shanxi Zhongyu (15-15) to ninth ranked Zhejiang Guangsha Lions (16-15) 122-121 in the fight for the eighth place. The best player for the winners was Chih-Chieh Lin who scored 34 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds (on 13-of-16 shooting from the field). Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Zhejiang Guangsha Lions moved-up to eighth place. Shanxi Zhongyu lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the ninth position with 15 games lost. Zhejiang Guangsha Lions will have a break next round. Shanxi Zhongyu will play on the road against Jiangsu Dragons (#12) in Nanjing.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 32: Beijing Ducks beat Fujian QB on the road 99-90. Bayi R. won against Jilin NE T. on its own court 102-88. Foshan LL unfortunately lost to Liaoning H. in Yingkou 122-128. Jiangsu D. recorded a loss to Xinjiang FT at home 102-112.
The most impressive performance of 32th round was 51 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds by Von Wafer of Xinjiang FT.

Fujian QB - Beijing Ducks 90-99

No shocking result in a game when third ranked Beijing Ducks (21-9) beat 13th ranked Fujian (10-20) in Jinjiang 99-90. It looked good early as Fujian took an 11-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Beijing Ducks took control and eventually winning the game that evening by 9 points. The best player for the winners was American power forward Randolph Morris (211-86, college: Kentucky) who had a double-double by scoring 28 points and 14 rebounds. The other American import guard Stephon Marbury (188-77, college: Georgia Tech) chipped in 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. International Zhelin Wang (215-94) produced a double-double by scoring 22 points and 24 rebounds and American guard Sundiata Gaines (185-86, college: Georgia) added 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists respectively for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Fujian's coach let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Beijing Ducks have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 21-9 record having five points less than leader Guangdong ST. Fujian at the other side keeps the thirteenth place with 20 games lost. Beijing Ducks' next round opponent will be Foshan (#11) on the road and are hoping to win another game. Fujian will play against TianJin Steel in Tianjin and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Fujian QB: W.Zhelin 22+24reb+1ast, M.Will 21+8reb, G.Sundiata 16+8reb+7ast, Z.TaiLong 15+1reb, X.Yacai 6+3reb+2ast, L.Hang 4
Beijing Ducks: M.Randolph 28+14reb+1ast, M.Stephon 25+5reb+5ast, Z.YanXi 14+12reb+1ast, G.Li 13+4reb+1ast, Z.Xiaochuan 6+9reb+2ast, W.Xiaohui 6+1reb

Bayi R. - Jilin NE T. 102-88

Very expected game when 14th ranked Jilin Tigers (10-21) lost to tenth ranked Bayi Rockets (14-16) in Ningbo 88-102. Jilin Tigers were ahead by 5 points at the halftime before a 61-42 second half run of Bayi Rockets. They dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Jilin Tigers' 42. They outrebounded Jilin Tigers 46-30 including a 37-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. 25 personal fouls committed by Jilin Tigers helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was the former international center ZhiZhi Wang (215-77) who scored 30 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The former international guard Shuo Han (196-86) chipped in 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Bayi Rockets players scored in double figures. American guard Dewarick Spencer (193-82, college: Arkansas St., agency: Higher Vision Sports) produced 26 points and 4 assists and forward Wei Liu (205-85) added 19 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Bayi Rockets maintains tenth position with 14-16 record. Jilin Tigers lost fifth consecutive game. They dropped to the fifteenth place with 21 games lost. Bayi Rockets' next round opponent will be higher ranked Liaoning Hunters (#5) in Yingkou and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Jilin Tigers will play on the road against Shanghai Sharks (#16) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Jilin NE T.: S.Dewarick 26+4reb+4ast, L.Wei 19+5reb+3ast, Z.Biao 10+4reb+2ast, C.Ya-Song 9+1reb+2ast, L.Xudong 8+1ast, Z.Cheng 6+6reb+2ast
Bayi R.: W.ZhiZhi 30+8reb+6ast, H.Shuo 16+7reb+5ast, X.ZhongHao 14+12reb+1ast, C.Yan 14+2reb+1ast, Y.Chen 12+5reb+1ast, W.Lei 5+7reb+4ast

DongGuan L. - Shandong FB 94-117

The game in DongGuan supposed to be also worth to mention about. Second ranked Shandong Bulls (23-7) played at the court of 6th ranked DongGuan Leopards (16-14). Shandong Bulls smashed DongGuan Leopards 117-94. The game was mostly controlled by Shandong Bulls. DongGuan Leopards was better in second period 29-25. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Shandong Bulls dominated down low during the game scoring 72 of its points in the paint compared to DongGuan Leopards' 40. Shandong Bulls forced 23 DongGuan Leopards turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. American players dominated the game. Worth to mention a great performance of point guard Pooh Jeter (180-83, college: Portland) who helped to win the game recording 34 points (!!!), 5 rebounds and 4 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) and power forward Jackson Vroman (208-81, college: Iowa St.) who added 21 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks during the contest. point guard Blake Ahearn (188-84, college: Missouri St.) responded with 32 points and 7 assists (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) and forward Marcus Haislip (208-80, college: Tennessee) scored 13 points and 8 rebounds. Five Shandong Bulls and four DongGuan Leopards players scored in double figures. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Shandong Bulls have an impressive 15-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 23-7 record having just three points less than leader Guangdong ST. DongGuan Leopards at the other side keep the sixth place with 14 games lost. They share the position with Zhejiang CB. Shandong Bulls will play against league's leader Guandong Tigers in Dongguan in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. DongGuan Leopards will play at home against Qingdao Eagles (#17) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
DongGuan L.: A.Blake 32+1reb+7ast, G.QuAn 15+4reb+3ast, L.Muhao 13+2reb, H.Marcus 13+8reb+1ast, S.TongLin 6+6reb+5ast, Z.Kai 5+4reb
Shandong FB: J.Pooh 34+5reb+4ast, V.Jackson 21+12reb+6ast, Y.Ding 17+3reb+1ast, L.JingYu 14+2reb+1ast, S.Ran 14+2reb+2ast, A.Zaid 14+8reb+5ast

Guangsha L. - Shanxi Zh. 122-121

A very interesting game took place in Hangzhou. It ended with only one-point defeat on the road of 8th ranked Shanxi Zhongyu (15-15) to ninth ranked Zhejiang Guangsha Lions (16-15) 122-121 in the fight for the eighth place. The hosts were tied after three quarters but managed to speed up in last quarter eventually winning the game. Zhejiang Guangsha Lions shot 63.5 percent from the field. 29 personal fouls committed by Shanxi Zhongyu helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was Taiwanese guard Chih-Chieh Lin (192-82) who scored 34 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds (on 13-of-16 shooting from the field). American-Puerto Rican center Peter John Ramos (222-85) chipped in 27 points and 7 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field). American forward Charles Gaines (201-81, college: S.Mississippi) produced a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds (on 14-of-17 shooting from the field) and international forward JiangPeng Duan (197-90) added 30 points (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line) respectively for the guests. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Zhejiang Guangsha Lions moved-up to eighth place. Shanxi Zhongyu lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the ninth position with 15 games lost. Zhejiang Guangsha Lions will have a break next round. Shanxi Zhongyu will play on the road against Jiangsu Dragons (#12) in Nanjing.
Top scorers:
Shanxi Zh.: G.Charles 33+14reb+1ast, D.JiangPeng 30+2reb+3ast, T.Jermaine 25+3reb+3ast, L.XiaoMing 11+4reb+12ast, Y.PengFei 8+6reb, B.ZhaoBao 5+1reb
Guangsha L.: L.Chih-Chieh 34+5reb+1ast, F.Gary 28+4reb+3ast, R.Peter John 27+7reb+1ast, Z.Yongpeng 12+8reb+2ast, C.Han Jun 9+2reb+3ast, Z.Dapeng 5+1reb

Liaoning H. - Foshan LL 128-122

Very predictable result when fifth ranked Liaoning Hunters (18-12) won against 11th ranked Foshan (13-17) in Yingkou 128-122. However just six-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. It looked good early as Foshan took an 2-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Liaoning Hunters had a 34-18 second period charge getting the lead and Foshan was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 122-128. Liaoning Hunters players were unselfish on offense dishing 27 assists. The best player for the winners was the former international center XiaoXu Li (206-90) who had a double-double by scoring 29 points, 18 rebounds and 5 assists. The former international Ailun Guo (192-93) chipped in 20 points and 9 assists. American forward Shavlik Randolph (208-83, college: Duke) produced a double-double by scoring 23 points and 19 rebounds and his fellow American import point guard Doron Perkins (188-83, college: Santa Clara) added 20 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals respectively for the guests. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Liaoning Hunters maintains fifth position with 18-12 record. Foshan at the other side keeps the eleventh place with 17 games lost. Liaoning Hunters' next round opponent will be Bayi Rockets (#10) in Ningbo where they are favorite. Foshan will play at home against Beijing Ducks.
Top scorers:
Foshan LL: R.Shavlik 23+19reb+2ast, J.Mingxin 22+5reb, P.Doron 20+11reb+11ast, M.Michel 20+2reb+2ast, S.KangMing 15+8reb, Z.Zhun 11+2reb+1ast
Liaoning H.: L.XiaoXu 29+18reb+5ast, A.Josh-Emmanuel 25+1reb+2ast, J.Solomon 22+8reb+1ast, Y.Ming 20+4reb+3ast, G.Ailun 20+4reb+9ast, L.Wei 8+3reb+6ast

Jiangsu D. - Xinjiang FT 102-112

Not a big story in a game when 12th ranked Jiangsu Dragons (12-18) lost to fourth ranked Xinjiang Flying Tige (19-11) in Nanjing 102-112. The guests were ahead by 5 points but lost the second period ending it with a 3-point deficit before their 34-21 run, which allowed them to win the game. Xinjiang Flying Tige made 21-of-23 charity shots (91.3 percent) during the game. Americans were the main players on the court. The best player for the winners was guard Von Wafer (196-85, college: Florida St.) who scored 51 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds (on 19-of-25 shooting from the field). Forward Darnell Jackson (203-85, college: Kansas) chipped in 16 points and 5 rebounds. Forward Mike Harris (198-83, college: Rice) produced a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds and center Garret Siler (213-86, college: Augusta St.) added 24 points and 9 rebounds (perfect from the field making all eleven shots !!!) respectively for the hosts. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Xinjiang Flying Tige have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 19-11 record. Jiangsu Dragons at the other side keep the twelfth place with 18 games lost. Xinjiang Flying Tige's next round opponent will be Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank (#6) in Hangzhou. Jiangsu Dragons will play at home against Shanxi Zhongyu (#9) in Taiyuan.
Top scorers:
Jiangsu D.: Y.Li 26+3reb+3ast, H.Mike 24+11reb+1ast, S.Garret 24+9reb+2ast, H.XueFeng 13+3reb+6ast, M.Da 9+5reb+2ast, W.Junjie 4+2reb
Xinjiang FT: W.Von 51+6reb+1ast, J.Darnell 16+5reb+1ast, T.ZhengDong 12+7reb, Z.QinPeng 11+2reb+1ast, M.Kan 11+4reb, C.Tal 7+6reb+7ast

TianJin S. - Guangdong ST 76-110

CBA top team - Guandong Tigers (26-4) had no problems winning another game on Tuesday. This time they crushed fourteenth ranked TianJin Steel (10-20) in Tianjin 110-76. The game without a history. Guandong Tigers led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 20-of-26 free shots (76.9 percent) during the game. Guandong Tigers forced 21 TianJin Steel turnovers. 25 personal fouls committed by TianJin Steel helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. International Jianlian Yi (212-87) orchestrated the victory by scoring 28 points and 8 rebounds. International FangYu Zhu (201-83) contributed with 18 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Center Lei Xu (207-88) replied with 15 points and 7 rebounds and Senegalese center Hamady N'Diaye (213-87, college: Rutgers) added 11 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for TianJin Steel. Five Guandong Tigers and four TianJin Steel players scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Guandong Tigers maintains first position with 26-4 record. TianJin Steel lost ninth consecutive game. They dropped to the thirteenth place with 20 games lost. They share the position with Fujian QB. Guandong Tigers are looking forward to face league's second-placed Shandong Bulls in Jinan in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. TianJin Steel will play on the road against Fujian (#13) in Jinjiang and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
TianJin S.: X.Lei 15+7reb, M.XiangLong 12+3reb+1ast, X.GuiJun 11+1ast, N.Hamady 11+5reb+1ast, Z.Zhihan 10+2reb+1ast, Z.Nan 9+5reb
Guangdong ST: Y.Jianlian 28+8reb+1ast, Z.FangYu 18+5reb+3ast, W.ShiPeng 17+3reb+4ast, D.Ike 13+7reb, P.New 10+4reb, R.JunFei 8+3reb

Qingdao E. - Zhejiang CB 113-114

Seventeenth-ranked Qingdao Eagles (8-22) used its home court advantage to challenge seventh ranked Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank (16-14) on Tuesday. The visitors from Hangzhou managed to secure only one-point victory 114-113. However their fans expected much easier game. Qingdao Eagles trailed by 17 points after 3 quarters before a 40-24 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 113-114 at the end of the game. Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank made 23-of-29 free shots (79.3 percent) during the game. American players dominated also this game. The winners were led by guard Quincy Douby (191-84, college: Rutgers) who scored that evening 31 points and 5 assists and power forward Eddy Curry (211-82) supported him with 30 points and 6 rebounds. Even a double-double of 31 points and 12 rebounds by center Chris Daniels (211-84, college: Limoges) did not help to save the game for Qingdao Eagles. Swingman Tracy McGrady (203-79) added 21 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals for the hosts. Four Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank and five Qingdao Eagles players scored in double figures. Qingdao Eagles' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank moved-up to sixth place, which they share with DongGuan L. Loser Qingdao Eagles stay at the bottom position with 22 games lost. Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank will meet at home higher ranked Xinjiang Flying Tige (#4) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Qingdao Eagles will play against DongGuan Leopards (#7) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Qingdao E.: D.Chris 31+12reb+2ast, Z.YongGang 26+1reb+2ast, M.Tracy 21+11reb+10ast, C.Kai 14+5reb+3ast, Y.GengLin 10+6reb, L.Tao 7+1reb
Zhejiang CB: D.Quincy 31+2reb+5ast, C.Eddy 30+6reb+2ast, D.JinHui 20+6reb+3ast, Z.ChunJun 13+6reb, C.Fei 7+2ast, G.SongLin 6+7reb+4ast

Wafer's 51-point game gives him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News

27-year old guard Von Wafer (196-G-85) put on an amazing game in the last round for Xinjiang FT and receives a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 32.
He had the game-high 51 points adding six rebounds for Xinjiang FT in his team's victory, helping them to beat Jiangsu D. (#12, 12-18) 112-102. Xinjiang FT maintains the 4th position in Chinese league. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Xinjiang FT will need more victories to improve their 19-11 record. In the team's last game Wafer had a remarkable 83.3% from 2-point range and got nine three-pointers out of 13 attempts. He turned to be Xinjiang FT's top player in his first season with the team. Von Wafer averages this season 26.4ppg.

Second best performed player last round was Charles Gaines (201-F-81) of Shanxi Zh.. He is American forward in his second season at Shanxi Zh.. In the last game Gaines recorded impressive double-double of 33 points and 14 rebounds. Bad luck as Shanxi Zh. was edged by slightly higher-ranked Guangsha L. (#8, 16-15) 122-121. This loss caused Shanxi Zh. to drop to 9th position in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 15-15 record is not bad and everything may still change. Gaines is well-known at Shanxi Zh. and he already established his position as one of the team's leaders. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 31.5ppg (#3). He also registered 15.1 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to center XiaoXu Li (206-C-90) of Liaoning H. (#5). Li showcased his all-around game by recording 29 points, eighteen rebounds (!!!) and five assists in the last round. He was a key player of Liaoning H., leading his team to a 128-122 win against the lower-ranked Foshan LL (#11, 13-17). Liaoning H. needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 18 victories and 12 lost games. Li has a great season in China. After 29 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 13.2rpg (4th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Doron Perkins (188-PG-83) of Foshan LL - 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists
5. Chih-Chieh Lin (192-G-82) of Guangsha L. - 34 points and 5 rebounds
6. Zhelin Wang (215-PF-94) of Fujian QB - 22 points and 24 rebounds
7. Tracy McGrady (203-G/F-79) of Qingdao E. - 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists
8. Pooh Jeter (180-PG-83) of Shandong FB - 34 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
9. ZhiZhi Wang (215-C-77) of Bayi R. - 30 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists
10. Chris Daniels (211-C-84) of Qingdao E. - 31 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists

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

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COLOMBIA

MANIZALES OC COMPLETES ITS ROSTER - by Victor Garcia

Manizales OC inked its third import for the upcoming Professional Basketball Division Tournament, the american center Taverius Wilkins (211-C-87, college: Wilberforce) (2,11-C, Willberforce) arrive to Manizales, Wilkins has played two seasons as professional player with experience abroad in the Spain E.B:A and in the Morocco League.
Manizales also add the young Colombian center Jhan Paul Mejia (2,04 - 1994) who was living and playing in Spain in the Basket Torrejon, Mejia played with the Valle team in the U-19 National Tournament.
The Colombians in the Manizales OC roster are:
Cesar Cortez , Frankln Forbes coming from the Islanders, Yuber Hinestroza, Luis Moreno, Diomedes Cassiani, Gerson Pena and a group of players to be defined.

HALCONES DEL NORTE GETS TRAVIS DEROCHOWSKI - by Victor Garcia

Halcones del Norte, the team from Cucuta that will play its first season in the pro-basketball has inked the american center Travis Derochowski (206-C, college: Warner Pacific) (2,06 C- Warner Pacific-NAIA), Derochowski played in Venezuelas National League with Atleticos UCV without great stats, also played previously in the USA minor leagues.
Halcones is also talking to the Colombians Alvaro Contreras, Jose Lopez, Jose Baquero and Cristian Arboleda.

BAMBUQUEROS JOINS GUEVARA, CAICEDO AND MENDOZA - by Victor Garcia

Bambuqueros start its moves to assemble a competitve team for the and inked three very good colombian players, the first one is Enielsen Guevara (204-F/C-82) (2,04 C) coming from the Arrieros and member of the Colombian National team, the team also added the point guard Rodrigo Caicedo (1,78-G) who had a solid season last year driving the ball in Manizales, Caicedo has also been member of the National Team, the third player is Jairo Mendoza (2,00 F/C), one of the most talented colombian players who played his collegiate career in the USA and also played last season in Manizales.

PIRATAS INKS EDGAR MORENO - by Victor Garcia

Piratas de Bogota in their return to the profesional basketball has made one of the biggest moves of the season inking the Colombian starting point guard Edgar Moreno (190-G-81, agency: Dream Team Management, college: UTEP) (1,91 G - UTEP), Edgar is one of the most experienced and winner players in the Colombian basketball, several times member of the National team and champion of the former Federation Cup with Bukaros and Cucuta Norte, Edgar also was champion in Venezuela with Cocodrilos and hs played overseas in Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
Edgar will bring leadership to Piratas.

EAGLES DE TUNJA INKS PELLERIN AS HEAD COACH - by Victor Garcia

Eagles Club from Tunja is trying to put togoether the pieces to compete in the upcoming Professional Basketball Division, and the first one move is getting the american coach Patrick Pellerin from Houston, Pellerin has been coach of the Houston Blaze and has been working as coach for young players in the last years.
Pellerin will arrive next week to the country, the team will complete its roster soon.

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CROATIA

Cibona clinch Kresimir Cosic Cup title - by Eurobasket News

Cibona - Cedevita 77:76

Cibona claimed the Kresimir Cosic Cup title. They held off Cedevita in a dramatic overtime battle. Andrija Zizic (207-C-80, agency: Beo Basket) and D.J. Strawberry (196-G-85, college: Maryland) stepped up with 21 points each to pace the winners.
Cibona eked out a narrow 16:15 lead after ten minutes of action. Cedevita stiffened defensively in the second frame. They limited Cibona to 12 points in the period to surge ahead for a 30:28 halftime advantage. Cedevita maintained the lead throughout the third term. They recorded a 47:44 advantage heading into the fourth frame. But Cibona lived up to the challenge. They came up strong in the fourth period denying the deficit. The teams stayed close and entered the final seconds tied at 66. Jerel Blassingame (175-PG-81, college: UNLV) had a chance to win it for Cibona in regulation but missed a late jumper. Cedevita pulled ahead in the extra period and looked favourites to win it but Sandro Nicevic turned things around. He drained a crucial basket with fractions of a second left to seal the victory for Cibona. Jerel Blassingame provided 14 points for the winners. Bracey Wright (191-G-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Indiana) answered with 19 points for Cedevita. Derwin Kitchen (193-PG-86, college: Florida St.) and Miro Bilan (215-C-89) had 16 points each in the loss.

Cibona: Andrija Zizic 21, D.J. Strawberry 21, Jerel Blassingame 14
Cedevita: Bracey Wright 19, Derwin Kitchen 16, Miro Bilan 16

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CZECH REPUBLIC

Nymburk and Pardubice reach Cup Final - by Eurobasket News

Nymburk and Pardubice will play in the Czech Cup Final. They overcame Ostrava and Prostejov respectively in the semifinal clashes tonight. The Final will be hosted by Liberec tomorrow.
Nymburk had little problems against Ostrava 100:67. Vojtech Hruban (202-G/F-89) and Radoslav Rancik (207-F/C-79, agency: Beo Basket, college: St.Cloud St.) provided 15 points each to pace the winners. Nymburk exploded with 55 points in the first half to accumulate a 24-point lead. The margin grew at 30-point mark in the third term and Nymburk cruised to the victory at the end. Michael Efevberha (197-G-84, college: CS Northridge) chipped in 11 points for the winners. Jan Stehlik (184-G-86) chipped in 16 points for Ostrava. Ciz delivered 15 points in the loss.
Pardubice worked harder to seal their appearance in the Final. They trailed by four points at the interval 50:54. Pardubice managed to pull ahead 75:74 at the end of the third term. They stepped on the gas in the fourth period and escaped with a comfortable win at the end 106:93. Corey Muirhead (197-F-83, college: W.Carolina) stepped up with 25 points to pace Pardubice. Zbynek Pospisil (206-F/C-81) contributed 16 points in the winning case. Pavel Slezak (186-G-84) responded with 25 points for Prostejov. Ondrej Kohout (204-F-91) had 21 points in the defeat.

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DENMARK

Standings - Basketligaen

Ligaen Standings

1. Svendborg		21-2
2. Bakken		18-5
3. Horsens IC		17-6
4. SISU		13-10
5. Naestved		12-11
6. Randers		10-13
7. Horsholm		8-13
8. Vaerlose		8-15
9. Aarhus BC		5-18
10. Aalborg		1-20

Regular Season: Round 26

Feb. 6: Svendborg - Aarhus BC 86-67
Feb. 6: Naestved - Randers 80-77
Feb. 7: Aalborg - Vaerlose 73-88
Feb. 7: SISU - Bakken 68-93

Regular Season: Round 27

Feb. 13: Aalborg - Aarhus BC
Feb. 13: Naestved - Horsens IC
Feb. 13: Randers - Horsholm
Feb. 13: Vaerlose - SISU

Stats Leaders - Basketligaen

Points Per Game

Bonell COLAS
  Randers
  (205-F-82)
  Avg: 24.6

1. Colas, Randers	24.6
2. Rutherford, Svend.	24.0
3. Jukic, Horsens IC	21.1
4. Willen, Aalborg	20.2
5. Bowlin, Horsens IC	20.2
6. Darboe, Svendborg	19.2
7. Ocana, Randers	19.2
8. Walker, Naestved	19.0
9. Delk, Vaerlose	18.9
10. Nielsen, Randers	18.6

Rebounds Per Game

Bonell COLAS
  Randers
  (205-F-82)
  Avg: 14.7

1. Colas, Randers	14.7
2. Rutherford, Svend.	10.0
3. Jukic, Horsens IC	9.4
4. Dezouvre, Aarhus	9.2
5. Baker, Vaerlose	8.0
6. Washington, Svend.	8.0
7. Walker, Naestved	7.8
8. Willen, Aalborg	7.7
9. Christoffers., Bak.	7.5
10. Moritz, SISU	7.5

Assists Per Game

Miguel ORTEGA
  Randers
  (188-PG-91)
  Avg: 7.1

1. Ortega, Randers	7.1
2. Bowlin, Horsens IC	6.9
3. Darboe, Svendborg	6.0
4. Nielsen, SISU	5.4
5. Murphy, Naestved	4.7
6. Nielsen, Randers	4.6
7. Tomko, Bakken	4.5
8. Plannthin, Svend.	4.4
9. Jonsson, Aarhus BC	4.0
10. Dennis, SISU	3.9

Steals Per Game

Skyler BOWLIN
  Horsens IC
  (190-G-89)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Bowlin, Horsens IC	3.2
2. Tomko, Bakken	2.4
3. Nielsen, SISU	2.3
4. Darboe, Svendborg	2.2
5. Delk, Vaerlose	2.1
6. Ortega, Randers	2.0
7. Jukic, Horsens IC	1.9
8. Walker, Naestved	1.9
9. Rungby, Horsens IC	1.8
10. Dennis, SISU	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Gregory WASHINGTON
  Svend.
  (208-C/F-84)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Washington, Svend.	2.6
2. Colas, Randers	2.3
3. Marinkovic, Horsho.	1.7
4. Jukic, Horsens IC	1.3
5. Christoffers., Bak.	1.2
6. Jukic, Horsholm	1.1
7. Delk, Vaerlose	1.0
8. Smith, SISU	0.9
9. Jensen, Vaerlose	0.9
10. Thomann, Horse.	0.8

Ligaen Round 26: Naestved defeats Randers in the closest game of the week - by Eurobasket News

The games are now more important than at the beginning of the Regular Season. We may still expect few shocking results in upcoming 4 rounds.

The most exciting game of round 26 in the Ligaen took place in Naestved. This derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of 6th ranked Randers (10-13) to fifth ranked Naestved (12-11) 80-77 in the game for the fifth place. The hosts trailed by 6 points after three quarters before their 26-17 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Naestved outrebounded Randers 51-32 including a 24-12 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American guard Caleb Walker (193-89, college: Nebraska) scored 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import power forward Joe Benjamin (200-83, college: W.Virginia St.) chipped in 13 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Naestved's coach Geoff Kotila used entire bench in such tough game. American forward Bonell Colas (205-82, college: Florida) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds. Naestved maintains fifth position with 12-11 record. Newly promoted Randers keep the sixth place with 13 games lost. Naestved are looking forward to face higher ranked Horsens IC (#3) in Horsens in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Randers will play at home against Horsholm and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Copenhagen. 4th ranked host SISU (13-10) was smashed by second ranked Bakken (18-5) 93-68. Canadian forward Marvell Waithe (205-87, college: Arkansas) notched 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the effort and Chris Christoffersen supported him with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Bakken's coach Philip Dejworek felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Even 17 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals by the former international point guard Mikael Nielsen (178-90) did not help to save the game for SISU. Bakken have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 18-5 record having just three points less than leader Svendborg. SISU at the other side keeps the fourth place with ten games lost. Bakken will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. SISU will play on the road against Vaerlose (#8) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Ligaen top team - Svendborg (21-2) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed ninth ranked Aarhus BC (5-18) 86-67. The best player for the winners was Adama Darboe who had a triple-double by scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals (was perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line !!!). Charles Funches produced 26 points and 9 rebounds for the guests. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Svendborg have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 21-2 record. Aarhus BC lost eleventh consecutive game. They keep the ninth place with 18 games lost. Svendborg will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Aarhus BC will play against Aalborg (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

In the last game of round 26 Vaerlose won against Aalborg on the opponent's court 88-73.

Aalborg - Vaerlose 73-88

Rather expected game when 10th ranked Aalborg (1-20) was defeated at home by eighth ranked Vaerlose (8-15) 88-73 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Vaerlose. Aalborg managed to win fourth quarter 19-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great shooting night for Vaerlose especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.6 percentage. The best player for the winners was American forward Justin Baker (203-89, college: Utah Valley) who had a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds. The other American import guard Richard Delk (193-86, college: Troy) chipped in 23 points. Baker is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Vaerlose's coach Thomas Silfen used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. American forward Anthony Jones (208-89, college: Baylor) produced 11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks and power forward Soren Sorensen (196-88) added 18 points and 6 rebounds respectively for the hosts. Vaerlose maintains eighth position with 8-15 record. Aalborg lost eleventh consecutive game. They stay dead last with 20 lost games. Vaerlose will meet at home higher ranked SISU (#4) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Aalborg will play against Aarhus BC (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Vaerlose: J.Baker 24+11reb+2ast, R.Delk 23+4reb+1ast, P.Moller 15+5reb+4ast, A.Holm-Weber 9+4ast, A.Karason 9+9reb+3ast, T.Christensen 4+1reb
Aalborg: S.Sorensen 18+6reb+1ast, L.Guzman 13+2reb+3ast, A.Jones 11+9reb+6ast, N.Andreasen 8+3reb+1ast, M.Rasmussen 8+1ast, M.Bjegovic 8+6reb+3ast

SISU - Bakken 68-93

The game between Top Four teams took place in Copenhagen. 4th ranked host SISU (13-10) was smashed by second ranked Bakken (18-5) 93-68. The game without a history. Bakken led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They also forced 19 SISU turnovers and outrebounded them 41-22 including a 18-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. Bakken players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. Canadian forward Marvell Waithe (205-87, college: Arkansas) notched 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the effort and the former international center Chris Christoffersen (218-79, college: Oregon) supported him with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Bakken's coach Philip Dejworek felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Even 17 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals by the former international point guard Mikael Nielsen (178-90) did not help to save the game for SISU. American center Zack Moritz (210-88, college: Boise St.) added 16 points for the hosts. Bakken have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 18-5 record having just three points less than leader Svendborg. SISU at the other side keeps the fourth place with ten games lost. Bakken will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. SISU will play on the road against Vaerlose (#8) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Bakken: M.Waithe 18+9reb+1ast, C.Parker 11+5reb+2ast, F.Nielsen 10+6ast, N.Iversen 9+4reb+4ast, C.Christoffersen 9+11reb, M.Sahlertz 8+2reb+1ast
SISU: M.Nielsen 17+5reb+8ast, Z.Moritz 16+4reb+3ast, D.Harder 9+1reb+4ast, D.Smith 8+3reb+1ast, R.Garlauskas 7+1reb, M.Dennis 7+7reb+3ast

Svendborg - Aarhus BC 86-67

Ligaen top team - Svendborg (21-2) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed ninth ranked Aarhus BC (5-18) 86-67. It was a very close game until the last quarter, when Svendborg's pressure prevailed and they won that period 28-14 extending their advantage to 19 points. Svendborg forced 20 Aarhus BC turnovers. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Adama Darboe (190-86) who had a triple-double by scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals (was perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line !!!). American power forward Donald Rutherford (199-87, college: Catawba) chipped in a double-double by scoring 20 points and 13 rebounds. Five Svendborg players scored in double figures. American forward Charles Funches (203-88, college: Hampton) produced 26 points and 9 rebounds and his fellow American import swingman Randy Dezouvre (195-87, college: Iona) added 25 points and 8 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Svendborg have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 21-2 record. Aarhus BC lost eleventh consecutive game. They keep the ninth place with 18 games lost. Svendborg will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Aarhus BC will play against Aalborg (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Svendborg: A.Darboe 24+10reb+10ast, D.Rutherford 20+13reb+1ast, G.Washington 12+5reb+4ast, M.Plannthin 12+2reb+1ast, N.Degn-Andersen 10, C.Magaard 5+3reb
Aarhus BC: C.Funches 26+9reb, R.Dezouvre 25+8reb+1ast, R.Soby Dalboge 5+3reb, K.Baare 3+1reb, R.Laier 2+2reb+1ast, A.Elsner 2+1ast

Naestved - Randers 80-77

The most exciting game of round 26 in the Ligaen took place in Naestved. This derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of 6th ranked Randers (10-13) to fifth ranked Naestved (12-11) 80-77 in the game for the fifth place. The hosts trailed by 6 points after three quarters before their 26-17 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Naestved outrebounded Randers 51-32 including a 24-12 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. American guard Caleb Walker (193-89, college: Nebraska) scored 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import power forward Joe Benjamin (200-83, college: W.Virginia St.) chipped in 13 points and 13 rebounds during the contest. Naestved's coach Geoff Kotila used entire bench in such tough game. American forward Bonell Colas (205-82, college: Florida) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds and the former international swingman Christian Nielsen (192-85) scored 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Naestved maintains fifth position with 12-11 record. Newly promoted Randers keep the sixth place with 13 games lost. Naestved are looking forward to face higher ranked Horsens IC (#3) in Horsens in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Randers will play at home against Horsholm and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Naestved: C.Walker 18+7reb+5ast, N.Brasas 16+1reb+2ast, Q.Doggett 14+10reb, J.Benjamin 13+13reb+2ast, A.Murphy 7+3reb+6ast, M.Frandsen 5+12reb+2ast
Randers: B.Colas 22+12reb+1ast, C.Jorgensen 16+2reb+1ast, C.Nielsen 15+7reb+5ast, M.Ortega 13+6reb+7ast, P.Nielsen 6+2reb, N.Nielsen 5+1reb

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D-LEAGUE

Standings

D-League Standings

East Conference
1. Santa Cruz W.		18-9
2. Maine RC		18-12
3. Canton C.		18-12
4. Sioux Falls S.		17-11
5. Erie Bay H.		16-12
6. Ft.Wayne MA		14-16
7. Springfield A.		9-20
8. Iowa E.		7-20
West Conference
1. Bakersfield J.		19-9
2. Rio Grande VV		17-10
3. Austin T.		15-12
4. Tulsa 66ers		15-13
5. Texas L.		12-17
6. Los Angeles D.		10-16
7. Reno B.		9-15
8. Idaho S.		8-18

Regular Season: Round 40

Feb. 7: Springfield A. - Maine RC 94-108
Feb. 7: Iowa E. - Texas L. 106-108
Feb. 7: Reno B. - Santa Cruz W. 105-114
Feb. 8: Erie Bay H. - Sioux Falls S.
Feb. 8: Maine RC - Bakersfield J.
Feb. 8: Ft.Wayne MA - Rio Grande VV
Feb. 8: Austin T. - Canton C.
Feb. 8: Reno B. - Los Angeles D.

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Luke HARANGODY
  Ft.Wayne.
  (201-F-88)
  Avg: 21.2

1. Harangody, Ft.Wayn.	21.2
2. Lamb, Tulsa 66ers	21.1
3. Johnson-Odom, Los	21.0
4. Goudelock, Sioux F.	20.3
5. Mack, Maine RC	20.1
6. Joseph, Austin T.	19.8
7. Summers, Maine RC	19.5
8. Almond, Iowa E.	19.5
9. Kennedy, Erie B.	18.9
10. Jones, Rio G.	18.8

Rebounds Per Game

Luke HARANGODY
  Ft.Wayne.
  (201-F-88)
  Avg: 12.7

1. Harangody, Ft.Wayn.	12.7
2. Mays, Springfield	10.6
3. Butch, Bakersfi.	10.5
4. Jackson, Austin T.	10.5
5. Plumlee, Ft.Wayne.	10.5
6. Onuaku, Canton C.	10.0
7. Evans, Idaho S.	9.5
8. Harris, Iowa E.	9.5
9. Jones, Rio G.	9.4
10. Wright, Maine RC	9.1

Assists Per Game

Walker RUSSELL
  Reno B.
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 8.3

1. Russell, Reno B.	8.3
2. Mack, Maine RC	7.8
3. Wright, Iowa E.	7.3
4. Singletary, Texas	6.6
5. Machado, Rio G.	6.4
6. Fortson, Los A.	6.3
7. Uzoh, Springfield	5.9
8. Karl, Idaho S.	5.8
9. Kennedy, Erie B.	5.6
10. Johnson-Odom, Lo.	5.2

Steals Per Game

Jamario MOON
  Los A.
  (203-F-80)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Moon, Los A.	2.3
2. Downs, Maine RC	2.0
3. Wright, Maine RC	2.0
4. McNeal, Bakersfi.	2.0
5. Greene, Los A.	1.9
6. Gutierrez, Canton	1.9
7. Johnson, Rio G.	1.8
8. Holiday, Idaho S.	1.8
9. Fortson, Los A.	1.8
10. Hannah, Santa C.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Fabricio MELO
  Maine RC
  (212-C-90)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Melo, Maine RC	3.6
2. Jordan, Reno B.	2.9
3. Eyenga, Texas L.	2.5
4. Gladness, Santa C.	2.3
5. Johnson, Ft.Wayne.	2.2
6. Moon, Los A.	2.1
7. Foster, Sioux F.	2.1
8. Johnson, Santa C.	2.1
9. Orton, Tulsa 66ers	2.1
10. Plumlee, Ft.Wayne.	1.8

D-League round 39 best performance: Glen Rice - by Eurobasket News

Guard Glen Rice (195-G-91) had a great game in the last round for second-ranked Rio Grande VV, receiving a USBasket.com Player of the Week award for round 39.
The 21-year old player had a double-double of 35 points and 15 rebounds, while his team beat Springfield A. (#7, 9-19) 112-97. Rio Grande VV maintains the 2nd position in D-League. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Rio Grande VV will need more victories to improve their 17-10 record. In the team's last game Rice had a remarkable 60.0% from 2-point range and got six three-pointers out of 10 attempts. It was one of impressive evenings for him as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Glen Rice averages this season 7.9ppg.

The second best player in last round's games was 23-year old Rick Jackson (206-F-89) of Austin T.. Jackson had a very good evening with a double-double of 18 points and 17 rebounds. Of course Austin T. cruised to a 102-91 relatively comfortable win over slightly lower-ranked Texas L. (#5, 11-17). This victory allowed Austin T. to move up to 3rd position in the standings. His team's 15-12 record is not bad at all. Jackson is a newcomer at Austin T., but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was swingman D.J. Kennedy (198-G/F-89, agency: Interperformances) of Erie Bay H. (#5). Kennedy showcased his all-around game by recording 22 points, six rebounds and twelve assists (!!!) in the last round. He was a key player of Erie Bay H., leading his team to a 102-99overtime win against the higher-ranked Rio Grande VV (#2, 17-10). Erie Bay H. needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 16 victories and 12 lost games. Kennedy has a great season in D-L. After 25 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 18.9ppg (9th best) and assists with 5.6apg (9th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Tim Ohlbrecht (210-F/C-88) of Rio Grande VV - 17 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Cory Joseph (190-PG-91) of Austin T. - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists
6. Henry Sims (208-C-90) of Erie Bay H. - 24 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Patrick Sullivan (206-C-88) of Austin T. - 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Donald Sloan (191-G-88) of Sioux Falls S. - 19 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists
9. Vernon Macklin (208-F/C-86) of Rio Grande VV - 26 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Carleton Scott (203-F-88) of Springfield A. - 23 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists

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

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FINLAND

Standings - Korisliiga

Korisliiga Standings

1. KTP		22-6
2. Kataja		21-5
3. Nilan Bisons		21-6
4. Pyrinto		20-7
5. Kauhajoki		17-11
6. LrNMKY		13-15
7. Kouvot		12-16
8. Korihait		10-18
9. Salon Vilpas		8-20
10. Lapua		8-20
11. FoKoPo		7-21
12. Namika Lahti		7-21

Regular Season: Round 29

Feb. 6: FoKoPo - Nilan Bisons 99-91
Feb. 6: Pyrinto - Kauhajoki 89-84
Feb. 6: Salon Vilpas - Kataja 87-96
Feb. 6: LrNMKY - Namika Lahti 76-83
Feb. 6: Kouvot - Korihait 64-92
Feb. 6: Lapua - KTP 64-77

Regular Season: Round 30

Feb. 8: Namika Lahti - Lapua
Feb. 9: Kouvot - Pyrinto
Feb. 9: Kauhajoki - Salon Vilpas
Feb. 9: Nilan Bisons - LrNMKY
Feb. 9: Korihait - KTP
Feb. 10: Kataja - FoKoPo

Stats Leaders - Korisliiga

Points Per Game

Martin ZENO
  Nilan Bisons
  (196-G-85)
  Avg: 22.3

1. Zeno, Nilan Bisons	22.3
2. Conley, LrNM.	22.3
3. Gibson, LrNM.	21.7
4. Clavell, Kouvot	19.6
5. Haanpaa, Lapua	18.0
6. Logins, LrNM.	17.9
7. Ulmer, Pyrinto	17.3
8. Holloway, Namika L.	17.0
9. Bullock, Kauhajoki	16.7
10. Thorpe, FoKoPo	16.4

Rebounds Per Game

Jason CONLEY
  LrNM.
  (196-G-81)
  Avg: 9.9

1. Conley, LrNM.	9.9
2. McDade, Nilan B.	9.7
3. Ford, Kauhajoki	9.0
4. Giles, KTP	8.8
5. Williams, Pyrinto	8.4
6. Johnson, Namika L.	8.3
7. Thornton, FoKoPo	8.2
8. Thorpe, FoKoPo	8.1
9. Logins, LrNM.	8.1
10. Dyer, Korihait	7.8

Assists Per Game

Damon WILLIAMS
  Pyrinto
  (201-F-73)
  Avg: 7.8

1. Williams, Pyrinto	7.8
2. Coleman, Lapua	5.2
3. Smith, Kataja	5.2
4. Ivey, Nilan Bisons	4.9
5. Gibson, LrNM.	4.5
6. Zeno, Nilan Bisons	4.5
7. Nikkarinen, Kouvot	4.4
8. Watson, Kauhajoki	4.3
9. Burgess, FoKoPo	4.1
10. Sarcevic, KTP	3.4

Steals Per Game

Jonte FLOWERS
  Kataja
  (196-F/G-85)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Flowers, Kataja	2.7
2. Coleman, Lapua	2.6
3. Smith, Kataja	2.6
4. Gibson, LrNM.	2.0
5. Holloway, Namika L.	1.9
6. Conley, LrNM.	1.8
7. Ulmer, Pyrinto	1.7
8. Williams, Pyrinto	1.7
9. Williams, KTP	1.6
10. Barrett, KTP	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Sefton BARRETT
  KTP
  (196-SF-83)
  Avg: 1.5

1. Barrett, KTP	1.5
2. Ford, Kauhajoki	1.1
3. Ahvenniemi, Pyrinto	1.0
4. McDade, Nilan B.	1.0
5. Zeno, Nilan Bisons	1.0
6. Jones, LrNM.	1.0
7. Ulmer, Pyrinto	0.9
8. Hampton, Lapua	0.9
9. Williams, Pyrinto	0.9
10. Giles, KTP	0.9

Finnish Korisliiga round 29 best performance: Jahmar Thorpe - by Eurobasket News

American forward Jahmar Thorpe (198-F-84) had a great game in the last round for FoKoPo, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 29.
The 28-year old player had a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds, while his team beat Nilan Bisons (#3, 21-6) 99-91. FoKoPo maintains the 11th position in Finnish Korisliiga. Too late to salvage the team, which is currently ranked such low. They already lost 21 games and recorded just seven victories. In the team's last game Thorpe had a remarkable 69.2% from 2-point range. He turned to be FoKoPo's top player in his first season with the team. Former University of Houston star has very solid stats this year. Thorpe is in league's top in rebounds (8th best: 8.1rpg) and averages impressive 53.0% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 27-year old American Martin Zeno (196-G-85) of Nilan Bisons. Zeno had a very good evening with 29 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Bad luck as Nilan Bisons lost that game 91-99 to the lower-ranked FoKoPo (#11, 7-21). This loss caused Nilan Bisons to drop to 3rd position in the standings. His team's 21-6 record is not bad at all. Zeno is well-known at Nilan Bisons and is a proven leader in his second season with the team. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 22.3ppg (#1). His other stats are also decent: 6.3rpg and 4.5apg.

Third on the list of top players last round was Bosnia and Herzegovina guard Bojan Sarcevic (190-G-88) of league's top team KTP. Sarcevic scored 25 points and passed four assists. He was a key player of KTP, leading his team to a 77-64 easy win against the lower-ranked Lapua (#10, 8-20). KTP confirms their top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 22 victories and 6 lost games. Sarcevic has a very solid season. In 28 games in Finland he scored 11.8ppg. He also has 3.4apg, FGP: 54.1% and 3PT: 45.9%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Daniel Coleman (206-F-85) of Kataja - 18 points and 10 rebounds
5. Charles Burgess (186-PG-84) of FoKoPo - 18 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists
6. Jordan Hasquet (206-F-85) of Namika Lahti - 23 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Johnell Smith (180-PG-80) of Kataja - 17 points, 3 rebounds and 10 assists
8. Damon Williams (201-F-73) of Pyrinto - 20 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Demond Watt (200-F-89) of Korihait - 16 points and 9 rebounds
10. Marcus Relphorde (198-F-88) of Salon Vilpas - 30 points and 6 rebounds

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

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FRANCE

Sakarya U16 Tournament: France became the first Semifinalist - by Eurobasket News

Ukraine U16- France U16 72:82

France became the first Semifinalist as they beat Ukraine in the Quarterfinal clash. The French side posted an 82:72 win at the Sakarya U16 Tournament.
France opened the game with 23-16 lead, but allowed the opponents to level the score at the halftime. Ukraine managed to post an 18-11 rally for 34:34 after 20 minutes in the court. Both sides scored 20 points each in the third period and only the last stanza brought the success for the French team. Led by Stephane Gombauld (201-PF-97), France needed a 28-18 surge to seal the win.
Stephane Gombauld erupted with 30 points and 21 rebounds, while Luc Loubaki (189-G-97) added 16. Ona Embo Renathan had 13 and Arthur Leboeuf (172-PG-97) delivered 6. Svyatoslav Mikhayliuk replied with 20 points in the losing effort and Ivan Vatazhok (193-G-97) scored 14. Anatoliy Khytov (199-F-97) and Anton Musienko (188-G-97) followed them with 9 points each.

Ukraine U16: Svyatoslav Mikhayliuk 20, Ivan Vatazhok 14, Anatoliy Khytov 9, Anton Musienko 9
France U16: Stephane Gombauld 30+21 rebs, Luc Loubaki 16, Ona Embo Renathan 13, Arthur Leboeuf 6

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GEORGIA

Georgian Superleague round 12 best performance: Kirk Archibeque - by Eurobasket News

American center Kirk Archibeque (205-C-84) put on an amazing game in the last round for top-ranked MIA Academy, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 12.
The 28-year old player had a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds, while his team outclassed Batumi (#8, 3-8) with 33-point margin 89-56. It allowed MIA Academy to consolidate first place in the Georgian Superleague. MIA Academy have a solid 9-2 record. Archibeque turned to be MIA Academy's top player in his first season with the team. Former Fort Lewis University star has very solid stats this year. Archibeque. Archibeque is in league's top in points (3rd best: 20.3ppg) and averages impressive 58.9% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 29-year old Azerbaijani Zaur Pashayev (188-G-83) of Kutaisi. Pashayev had a very good evening with a double-double of 15 points and 12 assists. Of course he lead Kutaisi to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Samedicino (#10, 1-10) 91-70. Kutaisi's 5th position in the standings has not changed. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 7-4 record is not bad and everything may still change. Pashayev is well-known at Kutaisi and is a proven leader in his second season with the team.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward Kyle Nelson (203-F-89, agency: N.E.T.) of Rustavi (#3). Nelson scored 19 points and grabbed eleven rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Rustavi, leading his team to a 112-70 easy win against STU Tbilisi (#11, 0-11). Rustavi is closer and closer to the top of the standings. They will still need more victories. But 9-2 record is not that bad... Nelson has a great season in Georgia. After 11 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 15.0ppg (8th best) and rebounds with 8.3rpg (7th best). He also has FGP: 58.4% and 3PT: 41.0%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Nate Bowie (183-G-86) of Rustavi - 21 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Sergo Atvashovili (223-C-85) of Sokhumi - 16 points and 13 rebounds
6. Serzhi Aselaini) of TSU Tbilisi - 14 points and 17 rebounds
7. Levan Khmelidze (208-C-90) of Rustavi - 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Flynn Clayman (206-F-88) of Dinamo Tbilisi - 16 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Ilia Londaridze (205-C-89) of MIA Academy - 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Akaki Dvalishvili (206-PF-90) of Olimpi - 16 points and 5 rebounds

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

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

GERMANY

Sakarya U16 Tournament: Germany advanced to Final Four - by Eurobasket News

Latvia U16-Germany U16 60:82

Germany advanced to Final Four of the Sakarya U16 Tournament. Tonight he team won over Latvia 82:60 and qualified to the Semifinals.
Germany was the favorite of the game and started with 15-11. The German side added massive 26-10 in the second frame and enjoyed a 41:21 halftime advantage. Both teams scored 22 points each in the third quarter, while Germany finished the game with 19-17.
Hubner Moritz top-scored for the winners with 14 points and Niklas Kiel (202-SF-97) nailed 13. Leon Kratzer (205-C-97) delivered 12, whilst Luis Figge (188-PG-97) scored 10. Arturs Strautins (192-G-98) replied with 11 points in the losing effort and Dzeiks-Eduards Krumins (186-G-97) had 10. Madars Kokins (192-F-97) delivered 7 and Rihards Berzins (198-C-97) brought 6.

Latvia U16: Arturs Strautins 11, Dzeiks-Eduards Krumins 10, Madars Kokins 7, Rihards Berzins 6
Germany U16: Huebner Moritz 14, Niklas Kiel 13, Leon Kratzer 12, Luis Figge 10

Kevin Hamilton Fit To Lead BBC Bayreuth In The Stretch Run - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

One of the worst things that can happen to a professional athlete is not playing the game they love on account of an injury which is similar as if star chef Jamie Oliver getting a taste bud infection not being able to taste his own luscious tasty food creations, or well known pilot Chesley Sullenberger who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River getting a sudden peculiar attack of flying sickness and not being able to fly or German Sebastian Vettel getting a nasty car sickness not allowing him to drive anymore Formula one at high speeds. One basketball player that went through basketball hell in the last two seasons has been American Kevin Hamilton (193-G-84, college: Holy Cross) of BBC Bayreuth. Hamilton who is a New York native and was the 9th most efficient player in the 2009/10 German BBL season and led his Phantoms to the play-off semifinals and also finished his 1st BBL season 3rd in assist (5,5 apg.) and 2nd in steals (2,0) started his career at Holy Cross and as a professional never had any serious injuries until last season. Hamilton played every summer in Puerto Rico doing double duty and in his two seasons in Braunschweig played 78 Beko BBL games was limited to four games last season first coming back in April and this season missed the first 11 games after getting injured again. Hamilton started his comeback slowly with one point and one assist in a loss to ratiopharm Ulm in December and five turnovers in a loss in his second game to TBB Trier. However he has slowly finding his groove again and in the last five games is averaging six assists a game and has scored in double figures twice with 13 points against the Brose Baskets Bamberg and 12 points against Phoenix Hagen. BBC Bayreuth also has won five of the last six games with Hamilton back as the playmaker. One guy that never doubted that Hamilton would come back is ex teammate Keith Simmons who played with him at Holy Cross. Anytime I see any player come back from an injury I'm happy but being that Kevin is a fond friend and former team mate I was very happy to see him healthy again. It has to be pretty tough to come back after such a long time. You have to work extremely hard to get back to the level you were playing at and improve. Kevin was very good at Holy Cross, he could fill up the stat sheet with points, assists rebounds and steals. I've been checking up on some of his latest games and it seems like he's getting back to doing the same things in Bayreuth. He was always a competitor, I know because we would always go at it in practice. We pushed each other hard for three years so I knew, even though he had some tough injuries, he would come back and play well again, stressed Keith Simmons. It was very hard for him to be at every practice and game and sit and not be able to help the team. I am really happy that he is back again, because I can learn so much from him concerning the game view. I know also when I am on the court that when I have enough room to shoot that I will always get the ball at the right moment. I am profiting form his play also. He has been averaging six assists in the last six games and I have been averaging 10 points a game, stressed BBC Bayreith guard Simon Schmitz.

BBC Bayreuth finished in 13th place with a record of 12-22 last season. Despite Marco Van Den Berg bringing early success, not every player was able to fully identify with his philosophy of hard defense and a structured offense and thus it wasnt hard cleaning out the roster removing seven players. The team kept a small core of players with Germans Stefan Schmidt and Simon Schmitz guys that the club have believed in and want to continue to develop as best as possible. Germans Tom Spoler and Peter Zeis also were held. The team also held point guard Kevin Hamilton who has those strong leadership qualities, but had a lot of misfortune last year with injuries being only able to play four games. He started this season injured, but since has returned. The story of the year is the return of fan favorite in the making Beckham Wyrick. He recently was signed, but then through special campaigns where money was raised was held until the end of the season. A week later it was announced thanks to a new sponsor coming on board that the American from Cincinnati will remain in Bayreuth until 2014. BBC Bayreuth added seven new players to help build a strong roster that could compete for the Beko BBL playoffs. Van den Berg had a good idea what players he wanted and got the team built already in June. The team added experienced guard Bryan Bailey that adds spark to the guard rotation and will be a tough combo with Hamilton. Nate Rhonert is an American that will give added strength to the guard position and is a talented shooter. The team also hauled in German Nicolai Simon who is a developing combo guard that has had very good games already this season. Arvydas Siksnius also was brought in to help at the guard/forward position. Under the boards the team brought in Gary Mcghee that had a strong rookie season in Turkey and Beko BBL veteran Jason Cain that can step out and fire away, dominate in the post and compete as best dunker against Gary Mcghee. Joe Trapani also was acquired as he is a player that also has a fine inside out game and adds stability to the rotation. The strength of BBC Bayreuth is there deepness at each position. Also an advantage Is that the club was put together early which got the team chemistry going early and to the good start. The only negative in the team could be how well the team plays together over time and if injuries plays a role.

The Fraport Skyliners have split the season series the last two seasons. In 2010-2011, they won at home 83-75 getting 26 points from Dashaun Wood, but losing on the road 86-79 despite 29 points form Wood. Last season, they lost at home 79-71 despite 27 points form Tim Ohlbrecht, but won in Bayreuth 90-57 getting 22 points from Jimmy Mckinney. In their first meeting this season, the Fraport Skyliners won 76-59 as they were led by Ted Scott and Danilo Barthel with 15 points a piece. The Fraport Skyliners are currently in 17th place and riding a three game losing streak and are desperately looking for a win in Bayreuth. With two new players and a very solid performance for 30 minutes in Munich, the team is riding into Bayreuth with a lot of self confidence. If we can play like the way we did in Munich, then we will have very good chances to win, stressed Fraport Skyliner guard Konstantin Klein. BBC Bayreuth is currently in 13th place with a record of 9-12. After a six game losing streak in December the team has been very up and down in the last six games positing a 3-3 record. They are reeling off a very bitter 70-69 loss in Ludwigsburg. No matter how the club is playing, one thing is always for sure, they will be supported until the end from their sixth man the fans as the Bayreuth arena is always very uncomfortable to play in for opponents. Frankfurt cant get down on themselves and need to be hardnosed. They have to be physical on offense and defense and limit Bryan Bailey, stressed Walter Tigers Tuebingen guard Vaughn Duggins.

BBC Bayreuth is led by Bryan Bailey who a 32 year old 185cm guard who comes from New York and played in Quackenbruck from 2004-2007 and from 2010-2012. He is a team leader both on and off the court. He Possesses a diverse game, with an ability to stroke the long-range jumper, penetrate to the rim or distribute the ball and is solid on the defensive end of the floor as well. He is a fierce competitive drive rubs off on his teammates. Bailey played at Bucknell and has gained experience having played in Holland and Poland. He reached the playoffs three times with Artland form 2004-2007 and the cup final in 2007. In 2010-2011, the American played 41 games for Artland averaging 11.5ppg, 2.4rpg, 3.2apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 52.2%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 77.2%. Last season for BBC Bayreuth he played EuroChallenge: 7 games: 4.7ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.3apg; German League: 27 games: 6.8ppg, 1.2rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 48.3%, 3PT: 18.9%, FT: 77.0%. Joe Trapani is a 24 year old 203cm forward from Madison, Connecticut that is playing his first season for Beko BBL team BBC Bayreuth. He started his NCAA career at Vermont (NCAA) in 2006 an dplayed 26 games: 11.4ppg, 4.4rpg, FGP: 44.0%, 3Pts: 40.0%, FT: 68.4%. He then completed his NCAA career at Boston College playing there form 2008-2011. In his senior year he played 34 games: 14.8ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 42.5%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 70.7%. In 2011, he turned professional playing at the e Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 3 games: 14.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.7apg, 1.0spg. He then came to Europe to play for Novipiu Casale Monferrato (Italy-SerieA, starting five): 3 games: 5.3ppg, 1.7rpg, left in Oct.'11, in Nov.'11 try-out at Scavolini Siviglia Pesaro (Italy-SerieA, starting five), then moved to MarcoPoloShop.it Forli (Italy-Lega2): 12 games: 9.4ppg, 5.1rpg, FGP: 44.0%, 3PT: 21.7%, FT: 78.0%; in Mar.'12 signed at Maine Red Claws (D-League): 6 games: 3.2ppg, 3.7rpg.

Jason Cain is a 27 year old 208cm power forward from Philadelphia who is playing for his third Beko BBL team with BBC Bayreuth. He played for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig from 2007-2011 reaching the playoffs twice. He played 142 games for Braunschweig and averaged 10.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 57.2%, 3PT: 37.6%, FT: 78.2. Last season he played for Eisbaeren Bremerhaven (Germany-1.Bundesliga): 32 games: 9.3ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 18.8%, FT: 72.9%. Before coming to Germany, he played at Virginia. Gray Mcghee is a 24 year old 208cm center from Anderson, Indiana that is playing his first season in the Beko BBL for BBC Bayreuth. He played at Pittsburgh from 2007-2011 and played with future NBA players like Dejuan Blair and Sam Young. In his senior year, he played 34 games: 6.9ppg, 7.7rpg, 1.3bpg, FGP: 56.7%, FT: 48.5%. He played a total of 120 NCAA games. In the summer of 2011, he played at the well known : Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (Pre-NBA Draft): 2 games: 9.0ppg, Reb-5 (8.5rpg), 1.0bpg. Last season as a rookie he played KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje (Croatia-A1), only pre-season, then moved to Bandirma Kirmizi (Turkey-TBL: 30 games: 10.5ppg, Reb-4 (7.8rpg), FGP: 56.3%, FT: 45.6%. This past summer he played AirTran Orlando Summer League (Oklahoma City Thunder): 2 games: 2.5ppg, 2.0rpg and NBA Pro Summer League in Las Vegas (Los Angeles Clippers): 5 games: 4.8ppg, 5.0rpg. Nicolai Simon is a 24 year old 191 cm guard that is playing his first season in Bayreuth. He started his basketball career in 2002 with 2002-2003: TuS Urspring (Regionalliga). He then played withErdgas Ehingen until 2006. IN 2006-2007, he was able to play 33 games for Alba Berlin despite being on a team with a deep roster. In 2007-2008, he injured himself playing only five games. In 2008-2009 he went back to Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule (ProB): 28 games: 8.9ppg, 2.4rpg, 5.2apg, FGP: 49.0%, 3PT: 23.8%, FT: 85.7%. In 2009, he played at the World University games in Belgrad averaging 4,1ppg, 3,6rpg and 1,4apg. He also played for the Paderborn Baskets (1.Bundesliga): 31 games: 5.5ppg, 1.1rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 40.8%, 3PT: 35.7%, FT: 79.4%. He played for the Walter Tigers Tuebingen form 2010-2012. Last season he played Last season for Tuebingen, he played 29 games: 5.4ppg, 1.2rpg, FGP: 47.9%, 3PT-1 (52.0%), FT: 74.4%.

Beckham Wyrick is a 28 year old 198cm forward from Cincinnati, Ohio that has played in Germany since he was a rookie in 2006. Heis playing his second season for BBC Bayreuth. He played for NC-Wilmington (NCAA) from 2002-2006 together with Bamberg floor general John Goldsberry. Wyrick played for Bayer Giants Leverkusen from 2006-2008. He then had a successful stay with the Brose Baskets Bamberg from 2008-2010 winning a Beko BBL title and cup. In 2010-2011, he played for FC Bayern Muenchen (Germany-ProA) helping the team move to the Beko BBL and played 25 games: 8.8ppg, 4.7rpg, FGP: 52.8%, 3PT: 30.4%, FT: 68.4%. Last season for BBC Bayreuth he played 31 games: 6.3ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 38.4%, 3PT: 32.3%, FT: 62.2%. Peter Zeis is a 23 year old 196cm swingman that is playing his second season for BBC Bayreuth. Last season he got into four Beko BBL games.He started his career in 2005 with TSV Troester II Breitengussbach and played there until 2011. Nate Rohnert is a 25 year old 197cm guard from Colorado that is embarking on his third professional basketball season and first in Germany. He played at Denver (NCAA) from 2006-2010 playing a total of 100 NCAA games and in his senior year played 32 games: 14.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.8apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 49.5%, 3PT: 32.5%, FT: 74.4%. He turned professional in 2010 and played for Tartu Ulikool/Rock (Estonia-KML): only pre-season, in Feb.'11 moved to Landstede Basketbal Zwolle (Holland-DBL, starting five): 11 games: 15.8ppg, 8.3rpg, 5.5apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 52.8%, 3PT: 44.4%, FT: 70.0%. Last season, he played for Denain ASC Voltaire (France-ProB, starting five): 34 games: 12.1ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.6apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 52.0%, 3PT: 41.9%, FT: 76.8%.

Simon Schmitz is a 22 year old 188cm point guard that is playing his third season with BBC Bayreuth and began his basketball career in 2005 with SG Bad Duerkheim/Speyer junior team. In 2008-2009, he played for BIS Baskets Speyer (ProB, starting five) where he played together with German national player Elias Harris. He played German League: 20 games: 14.1ppg, 4.0rpg, 3.7apg, FGP: 51.5%, 3PT: 33.6%, FT: 79.1%; also TV Bad Bergzabern (2.Regionalliga): 8 games: 14.5ppg. In 2009-2010, he played for Science City Jena (ProA): 29 games: 10.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.9apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 44.7%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 80.2%, in Mar.'10 also played at Mitteldeutscher BC Weissenfels (1.Bundesliga). He played at the European Championships U20 in Croatia -10: 9 games: 10.3ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 56.5%, 3PT: 38.6%, FT: 80.0%. Last season, the German played 29 games: 3.3ppg, 1.3rpg, 1.1apg. 23 year old 206cm center Stefan Schmidt was born in Schwandorf and is playing his fourth season with BBC Bayreuth. He started his basketball career with Franken Hexer (2.Regionalliga) in 2006. In 2007-2008, he played for SELLBYTEL Baskets Nuernberg (ProA, starting five): 20 games: 3.2ppg, 2.7rpg, FGP: 39.5%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 66.7%. In 2008-2009, he played for Franken Hexer (ProB, starting five): 29 games: 9.4ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 51.3%, 3PT: 25.3%, FT: 75.0%. Last season he had to fight injuries and played 17 games: 3.6ppg, 1.8rpg. Kevin Hamilton from New York is a 28 year old 193cm guard that is playing his second season in Bayreuth. He played at Holy Cross with ex Skyliner Keith Simmons from 2002-2006. He played in Poland the last few years and in the summers in Puerto Rico. He played under coach Sebastian Machowski in Poland and was made into a point guard even though he had been a shooting guard most of his career. He scored 17,9ppg in his last season at Holy Cross and in 2008-2009 he led the Polish league in assists. What makes him so dangerous is his scoring and his potential and ability to score are limitless. In college, I averaged almost 18 points per game. I have been a shooting guard for most of my career. Three seasons ago, I had to play point guard in Poland. I always thought that I was a good passer. I think passing has come naturally to me. I have enjoyed playing point guard, stressed Kevin Hamilton. The best thing that teams can do is to keep the ball out of Hamiltons hands, but that is about as impossible as doing the same to Lebron James. We tried to keep the ball out of his hands. We didnt want him to make plays. He is a true point guard. He is a great passer and makes things happen for them. When he gets going, it is hard to stop the team, warned ex Braunschweig guard Steven Wright. In 2009-2010 Hamilton played 39 games: 10.1ppg, 3.8rpg, Assists-3 (5.4apg), Steals-2 (1.9spg), FGP: 63.7%, 3PT: 33.9%, FT: 77.6%. He is one of those rare players that has triple double potential. In his last season for Braunschweig, he played 39 games: 9.0ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.3apg, Steals-1 (1.9spg), FGP: 53.9%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 67.0%. Last season for BBC Bayreuth he played only 4 games: 8.8ppg, 3.3rpg, 4.0apg, 1.3spg. Last summer, he played for Indios de Mayaguez (Puerto Rico-BSN) playing 23 games: 7.6ppg, 3.8rpg, 2.6apg, Steals-4 (1.6spg), FGP: 40.2%, 3PT: 38.7%, FT: 61.5%. . Arvydas Siksnius is a 25 year old 196cm forward from Lithuania that is playing his first season in the Beko BBL for BBC Bayreuth. He mostly played in his home country, but had a year of experience in the States playing for Weatherford JC (JUCO). Last season he played for Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (LKL): DNP, moved to BC Siauliai (LKL): Lithuanian League: 31 games: 7.4ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 58.2%, 3PT: 25.6%, FT: 75.9%; Baltic League: 22 games: 9.2ppg, 2.8rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 65.2%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 77.8%; VTB League: 2 games: 8.5ppg, 2.0rpg, 2FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 75.0%.

Randall Hanke joins the Giessen 46ers - by Moritz Korff

The LTi Giessen 46ers have signed Randall Hanke (211-F/C-84, college: Providence), the BBL team announced today. The 28-year-old post player from New York spent these past two years with the Norrkopping Dolphins of Sweden, but left the team in December. He played 14 games for the Dolphins this season, averaging 3.6 points and 2.9 boards a contest. Hanke also saw action in four encounters of the Euro Challenge (0.5ppg, 1rpg). Last season he captured the Swedish championship title with the Norrkopping team and contributed with averages of 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds (18 games) to the team's success.
He graduated from NCAA Division 1 school Providence in 2009 and played in the United Kingdom, Spain and Czech Republic before moving north.

Recklinghausen: Bill Paterno gives his side of the story after being fired - by Moritz Korff

When 2. Bundesliga Pro B team Citybasket Recklinghausen announced the firing of coach Bill Paterno in late January, a strained relationship between the coach and his player had been named the maincause for parting company, according to an article published on the club's website. "If you win - and that's what we have been doing on several occassions this season - you can overlook some of the bad for some of the good", Citybasket sport director Georg Kleine, Paterno's predecessor and successor as Recklinghausen coach, told derwesten.de following the decision to dismiss the coach. Paterno, however, has a different opinion. He told Eurobasket.com: "Just the fact that Kleine said this is unprofessional, when he was responsible for the first splits with the players by not supporting me when players do not follow my rules", Paterno said who continued: "He was coach for a long time and wanted to sit on the bench as my assistant which after two games I saw was not right. He was NEVER in any of my practices and did not support me on the bench, but he just babysitted when I pushed players to do the right thing."

Kleine led Citybasket to the 2012 1. Regionalliga West championship and was promoted to sport director after stepping down from coaching duties. "The sport director sitting on the bench and not supporting my tactics was the reason for the tear in my relationship with the team. Normally an assistant coach should back the coach not take the opposite side", Paterno said. As far as winning basketball games is concerned, Paterno did a solid job. Under his guidance, Citybasket won seven and lost nine this season, the Recklinghausen team is currently fifth in the Pro B North standings (Citybasket and Paterno had parted ways before last weekend's win over Braunschweig) and would be in the play offs if the regular season ended today. The loss to Wulfen (79-83) on January 26th marked the end of Paterno's ten month stint in Recklinghausen. Citybasket's leading rebounder and second leading scorer Robert Franklin (195-F-81, college: N.Mexico Highlands) played just under ten minutes in the derby while he had seen more than 30 minutes of action in all but two of his previous games this season. "But the fact that Robert Franklin played so little minutes in the game against Wulfen was unacceptable. That was the last straw. There were just too many things adding up", Kleine told derwesten.de after the game. "Franklin was sick all week and he said friday he was only a little better and his first minute in the game he turned the ball over twice and was clearly not well. He played more than 35 minutes all season, why would I change", Paterno gave his side of the story.

"His [Coach Paterno's] professional expertise and work have never been put into question by the club", Citybasket Recklinghausen stressed on the club's website, while Paterno said, the organization lacked professionalism: "When a club wants to change a coach they should meet with the coach, explain the decision and then decide what to tell the media to not embarrass club or coach. Citybasket explained their side in the newspaper without giving me space to tell my side. Hobby mentality. This is my job and they did not care. Kleine did not know how to handle this situation."So what's the result of this episode? A club that had to handle a coaching switch in the middle of the stretch run of the regular season and a coach without a job: "Now I have to find work with this terrible information out there from Kleine which is mostly false", Paterno concluded.

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ICELAND

Hlynur Baeringsson's double-double lands him Player of the Week award among Icelandic playing currently abroad - by Eurobasket Center

Here is the weekly review of the top performing Icelandic players, who play currently abroad.

Hlynur Baeringsson

#1. This week's number one is an international forward Hlynur Baeringsson (200-82, currently plays in Sweden). He led Sundsvall Dragons to a victory against the seventh-ranked 08 Stockholm (12-14) 93-81 in the Swedish Basketligan in Tuesday night's game. Baeringsson had a double-double by scoring 16 points and getting 14 rebounds. He also added 7 assists in 35 minutes on the court. Sundsvall Dragons (22-4) is placed first in the Basketligan. Baeringsson is the league's best rebounder with 10.4rpg. He also averaged so far 14.2ppg, 3.6apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 58.3%(112-192), 3FGP: 36.5% and FT: 75.2% in the 26 games he played so far. Baeringsson is currently a member of the Icelandic senior national team.

Jakob Sigurdarson

#2. Second place goes to an international point guard Jakob Sigurdarson (192-82, college: Birm.Southern, currently plays in Sweden) is a teammate of previously mentioned Hlynur Baeringsson. But that was another game of his team in Swedish Basketligan which we would like to mention. Sigurdarson, who plays in the Swedish Basketligan. He could not help Sundsvall Dragons (22-4) in their last game on Friday. Despite Sigurdarson's very good performance the league leader Sundsvall Dragons was defeated 81-76 on the road by the league outsider Nassjo (#12). He was the top scorer with 21 points. Sigurdarson also added 6 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!). It's Sigurdarson's fourth season with the team. He belongs to league's top scorers and is ranked #5. Sigurdarson has individually a very good season with high stats. He averages: 17.7ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.8apg, 2FGP: 50.6%, 3FGP: 36.4% and FT: 92.2%(106-115). Sigurdarson is in the roster of the Icelandic senior national team.

Axel Karason

#3. The Icelandic player who performed third best last week abroad was an international small forward Axel Karason (194-83, currently plays in Denmark). He was the major contributor in Vaerlose's victory against the closely-ranked Randers (10-13) crushing them 97-76 in the Danish Ligaen on Wednesday night. Karason had a double-double by scoring 18 points and getting 16 rebounds in 31 minutes. Vaerlose BBK (8-9) is placed fifth in the Ligaen. Karason has relatively good stats this year: 11.4ppg, 7.4rpg, 1.7apg, 2FGP: 54.7%, 3FGP: 34.7% and FT: 61.7% in the 22 games. He is also a member of the Icelandic senior national team.

Pavel Ermolinskij

#4. Guard Pavel Ermolinskij (202-87, agency: I.D.S. Law, currently plays in Sweden) managed to help Norrkoping Dolphins to win against the closely-ranked Sodertalje Kings (16-7) 78-71 in the Swedish Basketligan in Friday night's game. Ermolinskij recorded only 2 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Norrkoping Dolphins (18-2) is placed second in the Basketligan. Ermolinskij is currently third on the list of best passers. He has very reliable stats this season: 10.2ppg, 7.0rpg, 4.7apg and 1.2spg. Ermolinskij is also Icelandic national team player.

Logi Gunnarsson

#5. International shooting guard Logi Gunnarsson (192-81, currently plays in France) led Angers BC 49 to a 1-point victory over the eighth-ranked Blois (9-8) 61-60 in the French NM1 (third division) last Saturday. He was MVP of the game. Gunnarsson recorded 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 36 minutes. Angers BC 49 (6-12) is placed 13th in the NM1. This year Gunnarsson has relatively solid stats: 12.3ppg, 2.8rpg and 2.7apg in the 18 games. He plays currently for the Icelandic national team.

Hoerdur Vilhjalmsson

#6. Point guard Hoerdur Vilhjalmsson (194-88, currently plays in Germany) was not able to help Mitteldeutscher BC (8-12) in their game against Artland Dragons (12-9) in the German BBL. Vilhjalmsson scored only 4 points and added 4 assists. Mitteldeutscher BC was defeated 90-86 in Quakenbrueck by the much higher-ranked Artland Dragons (#6). Vilhjalmsson's overall stats this season are: 10.0ppg, 2.4rpg and 2.2apg. He is an international player who is currently on the senior Icelandic National Team roster.

Haukur Palsson

#7. International small forward Haukur Palsson (197-92, college: Maryland, currently plays in Spain) was not able to secure a victory for Assignia Manresa (4-16) in their game against Regal FC Barcelona (12-8) in the Spanish ACB. Palsson cannot count it as his best performance. He scored only 1 points in 9 minutes on the court. Assignia Manresa lost 76-88 in Barcelona to the much higher-ranked (#5) Regal FC. This year Palsson averages just 1.5ppg in the 18 games. He is also Icelandic national team player.

Gudni Valentinusson

#8. Center Gudni Valentinusson (204-85, currently plays in Denmark) couldn't help Aarhus BC (5-18) in their game against Svendborg (21-2) in the Danish Ligaen. Valentinusson cannot count Wednesday's game as one of the best ones. He scored only 2 points. Aarhus BC was badly defeated 86-67 on the opponent's court by the leading Svendborg. It was Aarhus BC's 11th consecutive loss in a row. There are only four games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical. Valentinusson's overall stats this season are: 3.8ppg and 2.1rpg. He used to play for the Icelandic U20 national team back in 2005.

Other top Icelandic players, who play abroad:

Jon Stefansson (196-G-82) plays for CAI Zaragoza in Spanish ACB
Arnar Jonsson (183-G-83) plays for Aarhus BC in Danish Ligaen

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IRELAND

Donnie McGrath selected the top Irish playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Irish who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Donnie McGrath

#1. This week's number one is former international guard Donnie McGrath (193-84, college: Providence, currently plays in Greece). He led PAOK to a victory against the eighth-ranked Ikaros (6-9) 85-80 in the Greek A1 in Sunday night's game. McGrath scored 11 points, had 5 rebounds and dished 6 assists in 40 minutes on the court. PAOK Thessaloniki (10-5) is placed fourth in the A1. McGrath has relatively good stats this year: 13.9ppg, 2.5rpg, 3.9apg, 2FGP: 54.9%, 3FGP: 36.8% and FT: 79.1% in the 15 games he played so far. He is a naturalized American. McGrath played for the Irish senior national team five years ago. Strangely he has never played in Ireland.

Bryan Mullins

#2. Second place goes to former international point guard Bryan Mullins (185-87, college: S.Illinois, currently plays in France), who plays in the French ProB (second division). Mullins could not help Chalons-Reims (14-7) in their last game on Tuesday. Despite his good performance Chalons-Reims was defeated 83-75 on the road by the lower-ranked SPO Rouen (#10). Mullins was the second best scorer with 12 points. He also added 4 rebounds. Mullins is currently fourth on the list of most steals. This season he averages: 8.0ppg, 2.7rpg, 4.1apg, 2.0spg, 2FGP: 48.3%, 3FGP: 36.0% and FT: 67.5%. Mullins is a naturalized American. He played for the Irish national team in 2009. Apparently Mullins has never played in Ireland.

Colin O'Reilly

#3. The Irish player who performed third best last week abroad was former international forward Colin O'Reilly (200-84, college: Post, currently plays in United Kingdom). He managed to help UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders in a victory against the ninth-ranked Cheshire Phoenix (8-14) 100-93 in the British BBL last Sunday. O'Reilly recorded only 4 points in 25 minutes. UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders (14-6) is placed fourth in the BBL. It's O'Reilly's first season with the team. This year he has relatively solid stats: 13.2ppg, 6.2rpg, 2.7apg, 2FGP: 58.3%(74-127), 3FGP: 36.3% and FT: 77.8% in the 20 games. O'Reilly played for the Irish national team four years ago.

Sean McCarthy

#4. Center Sean McCarthy (208-93, currently plays college basketball in the States) contributed to an easy victory against the Fisher College (8-14) crushing them 108-69 in the NCAA on Wednesday night. He recorded a double-double by scoring 10 points and getting 12 rebounds. The New Jersey Institute of Technology has 3-1 conference record this season. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. McCarthy has reliable stats this season: 13.2ppg, 6.2rpg and 2.7apg. He used to play for the Irish U16 national team back in 2009.

Mark Reynolds

   #5. Former international forward Mark Reynolds (197-84, currently plays in United Kingdom) was not able to help Durham Wildcats (7-15) in their game against Newcastle Eagles (17-2) in the British BBL. Reynolds recorded only 4 points in 9 minutes on the court. Durham Wildcats was crushed 106-65 in Newcastle by the leading Eagles. This year Reynolds averages just 1.0ppg in the 19 games. He used to play for the Irish national team six years ago.

The list of other players, who all have Irish passport but never been selected to any of Irish national teams:

   #1. Levon Kendall (209-F-84, college: Pittsburgh, currently plays in Spain), who plays in the Spanish ACB could not help Blusens Monbus (9-11) in their last game on Sunday. Despite Kendall's good performance Blusens Monbus was defeated 83-77 on the road by the lower-ranked UCAM Murcia (#12). He scored 12 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. This season Kendall has relatively solid stats: 12.9ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.7apg and 1.1spg. He has a dual citizenship: Canadian and Irish.

   #2. Mihajlo Pesic (206-F/C-81, agency: Three Eye Sports, currently plays in Cyprus) was the major contributor in AEL's victory against the league outsider Omonia (3-14) 89-75 in the Cypriot Division A on Saturday night. Pesic scored 25 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 38 minutes. Proteas Danoi AEL Limassol (6-12) is placed sixth in the Division A. There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical. Pesic is ranked fourth on the list of the top scorers in the league and also on the list of best rebounders (second place). He has individually a very good year with high stats. Pesic averages: 16.9ppg, 8.7rpg and 1.3apg in the 12 games he played so far. He is another player who holds two passports: Irish and Serbian.

Other top Irish players, who play abroad:

Andrew James Ogilvy (211-C-88) plays for Brose Baskets Bamberg in German BBL
Will Hanley (200-G/F-90) plays for Oviedo CB in Spanish LEB Silver
Maurice Carter (191-G-74) plays for Chicago Fury in the ABA
Tony McCrory (199-G/F-77) plays for Starwings in Swiss LNA
Brian McCotter (186-G-84) plays for Northumbria in British EBL D1
James Kelly (183-G-87) plays for Derbyshire Arrows in British EBL D2
Connor Ross (180-F-93) plays for Stuttgart ESV in German 2.Regionalliga
Conor Barron (194-F-88) plays for Glasgow Rocks II in Scottish National League
Luke O'Hea (192-G/F-80) plays for Darwin TV Jets in Australian DBA

Notice: The list above includes only some of the Irish playing currently abroad. Go to Irish Abroad Page to see completed list.

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ISRAEL

Standings - National League

National League Standings

1. Ironi Nes-Ziona		14-2
2. Ironi Nahariya		13-3
3. Hod Hasharon		12-4
4. Hapoel Afula		11-5
5. Elitzur Yavne		11-5
6. Ironi K-A		9-7
7. Ironi Ramat Gan		8-8
8. Hapoel Kazrin		8-8
9. Hapoel K/S		6-10
10. Elitzur Ramla		6-10
11. Macc.B.Yaakov		5-11
12. Kiryat Tivon		4-12
13. Maccabi K/G		3-13
14. Maccabi K/B		2-14

Regular Season: Round 16

Feb. 6: Ironi Nes-Ziona - Hapoel Afula 96-91
Feb. 6: Hapoel K/S - Maccabi K/G 95-81
Feb. 6: Hod Hasharon - Macc.B.Yaakov 89-76
Feb. 6: Ironi Nahariya - Ironi Ramat Gan 75-48
Feb. 6: Elitzur Ramla - Kiryat Tivon 73-67
Feb. 6: Ironi K-A - Maccabi K/B 72-73
Feb. 6: Hapoel Kazrin - Elitzur Yavne 102-100

Regular Season: Round 17

Feb. 12: Hapoel Kazrin - Hapoel K/S
Feb. 12: Elitzur Yavne - Elitzur Ramla
Feb. 12: Maccabi K/B - Ironi Nes-Ziona
Feb. 12: Hapoel Afula - Hod Hasharon
Feb. 12: Macc.B.Yaakov - Ironi Nahariya
Feb. 12: Ironi Ramat Gan - Maccabi K/G
Feb. 12: Kiryat Tivon - Ironi K-A

Stats Leaders - National League

Points Per Game

Allen DURHAM
  Hapoel A.
  (198-F-88)
  Avg: 21.7

1. Durham, Hapoel A.	21.7
2. Westbrook, Hapoel	20.9
3. Laing, Macc.B.Y.	20.5
4. Odiakosa, Hod H.	20.3
5. Murray, Kiryat T.	20.0
6. Johnson, Hapoel K.	19.9
7. Iram, Macc.B.Y.	19.0
8. Zelkovits, Ironi N.	18.8
9. Walker, Hod H.	18.6
10. Jefferson, Elitzu.	18.5

Rebounds Per Game

Chukwudinma ODIAKOSA
  Hod H.
  (203-F/C-85)
  Avg: 14

1. Odiakosa, Hod H.	14.0
2. Durham, Hapoel A.	13.1
3. Jefferson, Elitzu.	13.0
4. Ramsey, Ironi R.	10.1
5. Joyner, Maccabi	10.0
6. McGhee, Elitzur	9.8
7. Constantine, Hapoe.	9.5
8. Johnson, Hapoel K.	9.5
9. Benn, Ironi N.	9.4
10. Darby, Kiryat Tiv.	9.3

Assists Per Game

Ilan NANIKASHVILI
  Ironi K.
  (187-G-79)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Nanikashvili, Iron.	6.6
2. Fisher, Hapoel Afu.	6.1
3. Golan, Ironi Nahar.	5.3
4. Eliyahu, Macc.B.Y.	4.6
5. Gordon, Hapoel K.	4.5
6. Ber-Aven, Kiryat T.	4.4
7. Grinboim, Ironi R.	4.2
8. Benn, Ironi N.	4.2
9. Govens, Ironi K-A	4.1
10. Farine, Kiryat Ti.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Marcus ALEXANDER
  Maccabi .
  (-F-87)
  Avg: 2.8

1. Alexander, Maccabi	2.8
2. Ber-Aven, Kiryat T.	2.7
3. Ramsey, Ironi R.	2.6
4. Benn, Ironi N.	2.5
5. Hofman, Elitzur	2.2
6. Gordon, Hapoel K.	2.1
7. Laing, Macc.B.Y.	2.0
8. McGhee, Elitzur	2.0
9. Eliyahu, Macc.B.Y.	2.0
10. Paelay, Elitzur Y.	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Johndre JEFFERSON
  Elitzu.
  (207-C/F-88)
  Avg: 3.7

1. Jefferson, Elitzu.	3.7
2. Clark, Ironi K-A	1.9
3. Constantine, Hapoe.	1.4
4. Blair, Ironi N.	1.4
5. Buchman, Kiryat T.	1.4
6. Ramsey, Ironi R.	1.3
7. Labanowski, Macca.	1.2
8. Durham, Hapoel A.	1.1
9. Odiakosa, Hod H.	1.1
10. Blayzer, Hapoel A.	0.9

Yuval Naimy selected the top Israeli playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

Here is the weekly review of the top performing Israeli players, who play currently abroad.

Yuval Naimy

#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Yuval Naimy (188-85, currently plays in Eurocup). He led his Russian team Triumph Lyubertsy to a victory against the second-ranked Banvit BK (2-2) 93-89 in the Eurocup in Wednesday night's game. Naimy recorded 16 points and added 3 passes in 35 minutes on the court. Triumph Lyubertsy (1-3) is placed fourth in group I. It was his team's first victory after three consecutive loses. There are only two games left until the end of the Eurocup Top 16. So now every game will be critical. It's Naimy's first season with the team. He has relatively good stats this year: 10.9ppg, 1.6rpg, 2.2apg, 2FGP: 36.8%, 3FGP: 49.0%(25-51) in the 10 games he played so far. Naimy is currently a member of the Israeli senior national team.

Oded Brandwein

#2. Second place goes to former U20 international guard Oded Brandwein (186-88, agency: N.E.T., currently plays in Poland). He led Energa Czarni to a victory over the closely-ranked Trefl Sopot (12-7) crushing them 83-63 in the Polish TBL last Sunday. Brandwein was MVP of the game. He recorded 15 points and added 4 assists. Energa Czarni Slupsk (10-9) is placed sixth in the TBL. There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game is very crucial. This season Brandwein averages: 8.6ppg, 3.4apg, 2FGP: 41.0%, 3FGP: 34.9% and FT: 84.0%. He has a dual citizenship: Israeli and Polish. Former Elitzur Yavne starter played for the Israeli U20 national team in 2008.

Yotam Halperin

#3. The Israeli player who performed third best last week abroad was an international shooting guard Yotam Halperin (193-84, currently plays in Germany). Halperin contributed to a Bayern Muenchen's victory against one of league's weakest teams New Yorker Phantoms (6-14) 75-70 in the German BBL on Wednesday night. He scored 8 points and added 3 passes in 22 minutes. FC Bayern Muenchen (14-7) is placed third in the BBL. This year Halperin's overall stats are: 5.7ppg, 1.9rpg, 2.5apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 67.6%(23-34), 3FGP: 29.5% and FT: 82.6% in the 21 games. He is also a member of the Israeli senior national team.

Robert Rothbart

#4. Center Robert Rothbart (217-86, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group, currently plays in Poland), who plays in the Polish TBL could not help Start Gdynia (5-14) in their last game on Saturday. Despite Rothbart's good performance Start Gdynia was defeated 66-55 on the road by the league outsider Rosa Radom (#12). He was the top scorer with 12 points. Rothbart also added 8 rebounds. There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be important. This season Rothbart has relatively solid stats: 13.2ppg and 7.2rpg. He is another player who holds two passports: Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israeli. Rothbart is also Israeli national team player.

Jeremiah Kreisberg

#5. Former U20 international center Jeremiah Kreisberg (208-92, currently plays college basketball in the States) was not able to help the one of league's weakest teams Yale (1-2) in their game against the Dartmouth College (1-2) in the NCAA. He scored 5 points. The Yale was defeated 71-62 in Hanover, NH by the Dartmouth College. Kreisberg has reliable stats this season: 12.2ppg, 6.6rpg and 2.1apg. He is a naturalized American. Kreisberg used to play for the Israeli U20 national team two years ago. Strangely he has never played in Israel.

Tom Maayan

   #6. Point guard Tom Maayan (185-93, currently studies in the States) was not able to secure a victory for the Seton Hall (2-8) in their game against the University of Pittsburgh (7-4) in the NCAA. Maayan scored only 4 points in 31 minutes. The Seton Hall lost 46-56 in Pittsburgh, PA to the University of Pittsburgh. It was Seton Hall's fourth consecutive loss in a row. Maayan's stats this year are: 12.2ppg, 6.6rpg and 2.1apg in the 25 games. He is a former U18 international player as he played for the Israeli team two years ago.

The list of other players, who all have Israeli passport but never been selected to any of Israeli national teams:

   #1. Guy Aud (188-G-89, currently plays in Germany) was the major contributor in a Finke Baskets' victory against the closely-ranked Science City Jena (9-11) 83-73 in the German ProA (second division) last Sunday. Aud scored 17 points and added 6 passes in 29 minutes. Finke Baskets Paderborn (8-12) is placed 13th in the ProA. Aud is currently second on the list of best passers with 6.3apg. This year he also averages: 10.8ppg, 3.2rpg and 1.2spg in the 19 games he played so far. Aud has a dual citizenship: Israeli and German. Worth to mention he played also at Eurobasket Summer League, which helped him get the job in pro basketball.

   #2. Omar Wattad (195-G-88, college: Chattanooga, currently plays in Georgia) contributed to an easy victory against the league outsider STU (0-11) crushing them 112-70 in the Georgian Superleague on Monday night. He scored 9 points. It was his first game for Energy Invest this season. His team is placed in the Superleague. Wattad is a naturalized American. Strangely he has never played in Israel.

   #3. Jason Thomas (191-G-82, college: American, currently plays in Sweden) contributed to an easy victory against one of league's weakest teams Eco Orebro (5-21) crushing them 110-88 in the Swedish Basketligan in Wednesday night's game. Thomas recorded 7 points in 17 minutes. Boras Basket (17-8) is placed third in the Basketligan. Thomas has reliable stats this year: 12.2ppg, 6.6rpg and 2.1apg in the 25 games. He is a naturalized American. Thomas used to play for Ironi Kfar Hamaccabia Ramat Gan in Israeli league.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv roll past Maccabi Haifa for Cup title - by Eurobasket News

Maccabi Tel-Aviv - Maccabi Haifa 76:68

Maccabi Tel-Aviv clinched the Israeli Cup title. It was the 40th Cup title in Maccabi Tel-Aviv history. Ricky Hickman (189-PG-85, college: NC-Greensboro) stepped up with 15 points to pace the winners.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv started the game strong. They fired 25 points in the opening quarter to take a 7-point lead. The margin grew wider in the second term. Maccabi Tel-Aviv piled up a 42:31 halftime buffer. Maccabi Haifa refused to give up though. They turned things around in the third term. Haifa relied on an aggressive defence and it paid off. They limited Tel-Aviv to just 10 points in the period and narrow the deficit to just 4 points with ten minutes remaining. James Thomas tied things up at 55 early in the fourth frame. Donte Smith (180-G-88) and Gal Mekel (190-PG-88, college: Wichita St.) made it 61:57 for Haifa midway through the period. But Maccabi Tel-Aviv responded with 9 points in a row to take a 66:61 lead. They soon opened a 7-point lead and held on to eke out win at the end. Devin Smith (196-G/F-83, college: Virginia) netted 13 points, while Yogev Ohayon (187-PG-87) provided 12 points in the winning case. Gal Mekel responded with 28 points for Maccabi Haifa. Donte Smith chipped in 15 points in the loss.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv: Ricky Hickman 15, Devin Smith 13, Yogev Ohayon 12
Maccabi Haifa: Gal Mekel 28, Donte Smith 15

National League Round 16: Hapoel Kazrin edges Elitzur Yavne by two points - by Eurobasket News

The most exciting game of round 16 in the National League took place in Kazrin. This derby game ended with only two-point defeat on the road of higher ranked Elitzur Yavne (11-5) to eighth ranked Hapoel Kazrin (8-8) 102-100 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Elitzur Yavne. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 28-24 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Hapoel Kazrin made 25-of-31 free shots (80.6 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for Hapoel Kazrin especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.9 percentage. 25 personal fouls committed by Elitzur Yavne helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American forward Gary Johnson (198-88, college: Texas) fired 31 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Naturalized Russian power forward Anton Kazarnovski (205-85) chipped in 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. American swingman Brian Laing (195-85, college: Seton Hall, agency: I.D.S. Law) produced 27 points and 6 assists for lost side. Hapoel Kazrin have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Ironi Ramat Gan. Elitzur Yavne at the other side keeps the fourth position with five games lost. They share it with Hapoel Afula. Hapoel Kazrin is looking forward to face Hapoel Kfar Saba (#9) at home in the next round. Elitzur Yavne will play against Elitzur Ramla (#10) and is hoping to win this game.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Nes Ziyona. First ranked Ironi Nes-Ziona faced 3rd ranked Hapoel Afula. Host Ironi Nes-Ziona (14-2) defeated guests from Afula (11-5) 96-91. Worth to mention a great performance of Tal Karpels (195-90) who helped to win the game recording 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Tal Michael Dunne contributed with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists for the winners. American forward Allen Durham (198-88, college: Grace Bible) replied with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 15 rebounds for Hapoel Afula. Hapoel Afula's coach Avner Yeor rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Ironi Nes-Ziona have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 14-2 record. Hapoel Afula at the other side dropped to the fourth place with five games lost. They share the position with Elitzur Yavne. Ironi Nes-Ziona will play against bottom-ranked Maccabi Kiryat Bialik (#14) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Hapoel Afula will play against Hod Hasharon (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Bottom-ranked Maccabi Kiryat Bialik managed to get a second victory, breaking the eight-game losing streak on Wednesday night. This time they edged sixth-ranked Ironi Kiryat Ata 73-72. Worth to mention a great performance of Dallis Joyner who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). At the losing side Darrin Govens responded with 17 points and 6 rebounds (made all of his eight free throws). Maccabi Kiryat Bialik maintains fourteenth position with 2-14 record. Loser Ironi Kiryat Ata keeps the sixth place with seven games lost. Maccabi Kiryat Bialik will meet at home league's leader Ironi Nes-Ziona in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Ironi Kiryat Ata will play against Kiryat Tivon (#12) in Kiryat Tivon and hope to secure a win.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Nahariya. Local Ironi Nahariya (13-3) outscored 7th ranked Ironi Ramat Gan (8-8) 75-48. The winners were led by Raviv Pitshon who had that evening a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds. Ironi Nahariya's coach Shay Minister felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Ironi Nahariya have an impressive eight-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 13-3 record behind leader Ironi Nes-Ziona. Ironi Ramat Gan lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with eight games lost. Ironi Nahariya's next round opponent will be Beer Yaakov (#11) on the road and are hoping to win another game. Ironi Ramat Gan will play against Maccabi K/G (#13) in Kiryat Gat.

Rest of the games of round 16 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Macc.B.Yaakov was defeated by Hod Hasharon in a road game 89-76. Elitzur Ramla beat Kiryat Tivon at home 73-67. Maccabi K/G lost to Hapoel K/S on the opponent's court 81-95.
The best stats of 16th round was 29 points, 18 rebounds and 8 blocks by Johndre Jefferson of Elitzur Ramla.

Hapoel Kazrin - Elitzur Yavne 102-100

The most exciting game of round 16 in the National League took place in Kazrin. This derby game ended with only two-point defeat on the road of higher ranked Elitzur Yavne (11-5) to eighth ranked Hapoel Kazrin (8-8) 102-100 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Elitzur Yavne. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 28-24 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Hapoel Kazrin made 25-of-31 free shots (80.6 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for Hapoel Kazrin especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.9 percentage. 25 personal fouls committed by Elitzur Yavne helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. American forward Gary Johnson (198-88, college: Texas) fired 31 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Naturalized Russian power forward Anton Kazarnovski (205-85) chipped in 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. American swingman Brian Laing (195-85, college: Seton Hall, agency: I.D.S. Law) produced 27 points and 6 assists and swingman Elad Hofman (192-85) added 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Four Elitzur Yavne players scored in double figures. Hapoel Kazrin have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Ironi Ramat Gan. Elitzur Yavne at the other side keeps the fourth position with five games lost. They share it with Hapoel Afula. Hapoel Kazrin is looking forward to face Hapoel Kfar Saba (#9) at home in the next round. Elitzur Yavne will play against Elitzur Ramla (#10) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Hapoel Kazrin: G.Johnson 31+8reb+1ast, L.Westbrook 18+3reb+2ast, L.Shvarzvald 14+2reb+3ast, A.Gordon 13+3reb+2ast, A.Kazarnovski 8+8reb+6ast, L.Surf 7+1reb
Elitzur Yavne: B.Laing 27+4reb+6ast, E.Hofman 23+7reb+4ast, I.Nesterenko 17+8reb+1ast, M.McGhee 14+9reb+3ast, N.Matalon 9+2reb+2ast, L.Shem-Tov 5+1reb+2ast

Ironi K-A - Maccabi K/B 72-73

Bottom-ranked Maccabi Kiryat Bialik managed to get a second victory, breaking the eight-game losing streak on Wednesday night. This time they edged sixth-ranked Ironi Kiryat Ata 73-72. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 23-18 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Maccabi Kiryat Bialik forced 19 Ironi Kiryat Ata turnovers. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Dallis Joyner (201-90, college: Stony Brook) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) and guard Dror Davidi (190-84) who added 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. At the losing side American point guard Darrin Govens (185-88, college: St.Joseph's) responded with 17 points and 6 rebounds (made all of his eight free throws) and his fellow American import forward Ivory Clark (198-85) scored 14 points and 6 rebounds (perfect from the field making all six shots). Maccabi Kiryat Bialik maintains fourteenth position with 2-14 record. Loser Ironi Kiryat Ata keeps the sixth place with seven games lost. Maccabi Kiryat Bialik will meet at home league's leader Ironi Nes-Ziona in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Ironi Kiryat Ata will play against Kiryat Tivon (#12) in Kiryat Tivon and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Maccabi K/B: D.Davidi 21+7reb+5ast, D.Joyner 17+12reb+4ast, A.Barak 10+2reb+1ast, S.Labanowski 8+5reb+1ast, M.Shamis 7+1reb+3ast, Z.Tavor 6+4reb+1ast
Ironi K-A: D.Govens 17+6reb+2ast, C.Watson 15+5reb, I.Clark 14+6reb+1ast, I.Nanikashvili 7+1reb+6ast, A.Nanikashvili 7+1reb+8ast, K.Izik 6+7reb+2ast

Hod Hasharon - Macc.B.Yaakov 89-76

There was no surprise when 10th ranked Beer Yaakov (5-11) was defeated on the road by fifth ranked Hod Hasharon (12-4) 89-76. The game was mostly controlled by Hod Hasharon. Beer Yaakov was better in fourth quarter 23-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Hod Hasharon players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Beer Yaakov helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The winners were led by American guard B.A. Walker (188-84, college: VCU, agency: Pro One Sports) who scored that evening 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists and Nigerian power forward Chukwudinma Odiakosa (203-85, college: Illinois St., agency: N.E.T.) supported him with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Four Hod Hasharon players scored in double figures. Even a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds by American guard Joshua Alexander (193-87, college: SF Austin) did not help to save the game for Beer Yaakov. point guard Avi Eliyahu (175-87, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (made all of his seven free throws) for lost side. Hod Hasharon have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place. Beer Yaakov lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the eleventh position with 11 games lost. Hod Hasharon's next round opponent will be Hapoel Afula (#4) on the road. Beer Yaakov will play against the league's second-placed Ironi Nahariya (#2).
Top scorers:
Hod Hasharon: C.Odiakosa 19+9reb+1ast, B.Walker 18+9reb+7ast, O.Hover 12+5reb+2ast, G.Dotan 11+1reb+4ast, E.Asante Asare 9+3reb+3ast, A.Skverer 8+3reb+2ast
Macc.B.Yaakov: J.Alexander 29+12reb+2ast, A.Eliyahu 16+5reb+5ast, J.Hall 14+9reb+3ast, I.Simin 6+3reb+2ast, S.Kleimintz 5+1reb+2ast, Z.Volfer 4+2reb+1ast

Ironi Nahariya - Ironi Ramat Gan 75-48

The game with biggest result difference took place in Nahariya. Local Ironi Nahariya (13-3) outscored 7th ranked Ironi Ramat Gan (8-8) 75-48. The game without a history. Ironi Nahariya led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Ironi Ramat Gan to just 5 points in fourth quarter. Ironi Nahariya forced 19 Ironi Ramat Gan turnovers and outrebounded them 42-29 including 29 on the defensive glass. The winners were led by Raviv Pitshon (202-89, agency: Ronsport) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds and American guard Nate Miller (193-87, college: Bowling Green, agency: KMG Sports Management) supported him with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. Ironi Nahariya's coach Shay Minister felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Even 13 points and 5 assists by point guard Dori Assaf (178-87, agency: Avi Zilberman) did not help to save the game for Ironi Ramat Gan. American power forward Keith Ramsey (205-87, college: Missouri) added 10 points and 6 rebounds for lost side. Ironi Nahariya have an impressive eight-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 13-3 record behind leader Ironi Nes-Ziona. Ironi Ramat Gan lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with eight games lost. Ironi Nahariya's next round opponent will be Beer Yaakov (#11) on the road and are hoping to win another game. Ironi Ramat Gan will play against Maccabi K/G (#13) in Kiryat Gat.
Top scorers:
Ironi Nahariya: R.Pitshon 19+13reb, N.Miller 18+6reb+6ast, A.Zelkovits 17+6reb, R.Clemente 8+9reb, J.Baze 5+1reb+1ast, N.Golan 4+2reb+3ast
Ironi Ramat Gan: D.Assaf 13+3reb+5ast, K.Ramsey 10+6reb+2ast, A.Tamir 7+5reb+1ast, T.Kent 6+3reb+1ast, I.Mayor 4+1reb, T.Havkin 4+1reb

Elitzur Ramla - Kiryat Tivon 73-67

The game between closely ranked teams ended with eleventh ranked Elitzur Ramla's (6-10) home victory over 12th ranked Kiryat Tivon (4-12) 73-67. The hosts started the game with a very strong first quarter 23-13. But Kiryat Tivon won second period 22-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Elitzur Ramla brought some defensive toughness making 8 blocks. The winners were led by American power forward Johndre Jefferson (207-88, college: S.Carolina) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 29 points, 18 rebounds and 8 blocks (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) and the other American import guard Vernon Teel (193-87, college: Loyola Mary, agency: FCM) supported him with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Even a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds by American power forward Taylor Darby (204-90, college: Pepperdine) did not help to save the game for Kiryat Tivon. Swingman Tomer Ber-Aven (196-92) added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists for lost side. Four Kiryat Tivon players scored in double figures. Elitzur Ramla have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Hapoel K/S. Kiryat Tivon lost third consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 12 games lost. Elitzur Ramla's next round opponent will be higher ranked Elitzur Yavne (#5) on the road and it may be quite challenging game. Kiryat Tivon will play against Ironi Kiryat Ata (#6).
Top scorers:
Elitzur Ramla: J.Jefferson 29+18reb+1ast, V.Teel 24+14reb+5ast, O.Zinderman 9+1reb+3ast, T.Simchony 5+1reb+2ast, A.Fogel 4+3reb+2ast, O.Cohen 2+6reb+5ast
Kiryat Tivon: T.Darby 23+13reb, T.Ber-Aven 15+6reb+6ast, G.Murray 12+6reb+2ast, S.Farine 11+4reb+2ast, C.Bouchman 2+11reb+4ast, R.Yavzuri 2+1reb

Ironi Nes-Ziona - Hapoel Afula 96-91

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Nes Ziyona. First ranked Ironi Nes-Ziona faced 3rd ranked Hapoel Afula. Host Ironi Nes-Ziona (14-2) defeated guests from Afula (11-5) 96-91. Ironi Nes-Ziona players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of Tal Karpels (195-90) who helped to win the game recording 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Naturalized Welsh forward Tal Michael Dunne (197-87) contributed with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists for the winners. American forward Allen Durham (198-88, college: Grace Bible) replied with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 15 rebounds and forward Oz Blayzer (199-92) added 23 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Hapoel Afula. Five Ironi Nes-Ziona and four Hapoel Afula players scored in double figures. Hapoel Afula's coach Avner Yeor rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Ironi Nes-Ziona have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 14-2 record. Hapoel Afula at the other side dropped to the fourth place with five games lost. They share the position with Elitzur Yavne. Ironi Nes-Ziona will play against bottom-ranked Maccabi Kiryat Bialik (#14) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Hapoel Afula will play against Hod Hasharon (#3) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Ironi Nes-Ziona: T.Karpels 24+6reb+4ast, B.Benn 20+4reb+2ast, T.Michael Dunne 15+8reb+9ast, G.Amitay 14+1reb+1ast, G.Blair 13+6reb+1ast, R.Zehavian 6+1reb+3ast
Hapoel Afula: A.Durham 25+15reb, O.Blayzer 23+8reb+1ast, E.Eliyah 19+5reb+3ast, A.Fisher 16+7ast, L.Ariely 3, O.Al 3+1reb+1ast

Hapoel K/S - Maccabi K/G 95-81

Very expected game when 13th ranked Maccabi K/G (3-13) was defeated on the road by ninth ranked Hapoel Kfar Saba (6-10) 95-81. Hapoel Kfar Saba players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. 26 personal fouls committed by Maccabi K/G helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The winners were led by forward Adir Harush (187-90) who scored that evening 10 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists and forward Eitan Rotemberg (197-91) supported him with 19 points (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Four Hapoel Kfar Saba players scored in double figures. Even a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds by American forward Lenny Daniel (203-87, college: CS Northridge) did not help to save the game for Maccabi K/G. His fellow American import swingman Muhammad El Amin (196-87, college: Stony Brook, agency: Two Points) added 20 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists for lost side. Hapoel Kfar Saba maintains ninth position with 6-10 record, which they share with Elitzur Ramla. Maccabi K/G lost seventh consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the thirteenth place with 13 games lost. Hapoel Kfar Saba's next round opponent will be higher ranked Hapoel Kazrin (#8) on the road and it may be quite challenging game. Maccabi K/G will play against Ironi Ramat Gan (#7).
Top scorers:
Hapoel K/S: E.Rotemberg 19+4reb, O.Cohen 16+1reb+2ast, M.McNil 16+6reb+1ast, A.McCoy 12+3reb+1ast, H.Karni 12+4reb+2ast, A.Harush 10+5reb+9ast
Maccabi K/G: L.Daniel 22+14reb+1ast, M.El Amin 20+7reb+8ast, O.Ron 11+1ast, H.Gonshor 9+2reb+1ast, Y.Shtarkman 7+2reb+5ast, D.Peterson 6+2reb

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ITALY

Beko Final Eight, quarterfinals: Cantu' 85 Roma 89 - by Armando Caporaso

In the first game of this 2013 Italian Final Eight, hosted by the Mediolanum Forum (Milano), Roma (5) surprising Cantu' (4) and will be the first semifinalist. The Acea controls the game and resists to the finel assault of the Fox Town (special sponsor of Cantu' for this cup) that go back until -1 after have been below of 19 points in the first seconds of the last quarter. Cantu' (today without Tyus out for injury) shoots with better percentage (14/25 by 3) but Roma dominates under the board (39+15 at rebound).

After the first 10 minutes Roma leads 25-18 thanks a good starts of the usual Lawal with dunks and offensive rebounds well served by Goss. With the entrance of Mazzarino for Aradori Cantu' comeback and go ahead with 3 consecutive triples (2/2 for Leunen in the quarter) but finally Datome enter in the game and, with 8 almost consecutive points, back Roma forward in the scoring. Debut in the game also for Mancinelli, for the first time at Forum after leaving Milano the last year.
In the first part of the second quarter there is balance but is always Lawal to dominate under the board despite a tecnical foul because some word too after a dunk against Aradori and a little nervousness with Cusin. At the other side keeping to shot, and especially to scorer by 3, Leunen and Mazzarino but without be able to mend the breach thanks the usual perfection at shoot of captain Datome and the points of Goss and Taylor. At 2 minutes by the end Roma reaches the max advantage (+12) because the double tecnical foul for Mancinelli and Leunen (both with 3 fouls, like Jones and Brooks) convert with 3 of 4 free throws by Datome. The final after half game is 50-44 for the Acea thanks the 3 points shot of Mazzarino (3/3) with 2 seconds less. 11 for Leunen, 13 of Datome and 12 of Lawal the three players in double digit after 20 minutes.
In the third quarter Roma controls the game thanks the work of Lawal and above all the points of Czyz that scores the first 5 points of the team and the basket of the new max advantage, +15 at 26' (at the end will be 12 the points in this quarter for the Polish forward). For Cantu' only 10 points with the first error of Mazzarino by 3 and 5 points (4/5 by 3) of Leunen. Moreover bad news for Trinchieri that will have to manage the four fouls of Brooks and Mancinelli in the last quarter, starting with 15 points to be recovered (69-54 after 30' minutes for the Virtus).
In the last quarter Roma seems to control without problem the game reaching after just one minute also the +19 with Czyz and Datome but, after the fourth foul of Jones, and a couple of basket for Aradori, starts the Tabu show that with 12 points bring back his team until the -7. Roma can't recover and Cantu' with the triples of Leunen (next out for fouls) and Tabu back with just 4 points behind Roma with only 3 minutes to play. The fifth foul of Mancinelli is a good news for Trinchieri: Brooks back on the court and with a '2+1' played and an incredible block on Lawal takes Cantu' to -1 at 38'. Goss signs the +3 and, in the last minute, starts the free throws lottery: after Tabu (1/2) and Lawal (0/2) D'Ercole with 2/2 takes again Roma forward (+4) but, with just 21 seconds, Tabu by 3 (and the help of the board) reopens the game. Again 2 free throws of Luigi Datome (203-F-87) (nominated MVP) and a doubtful block on Scekic of the Italian forward closing the game with the result of 89-85 for Roma!

Acea Roma: Datome 22 pts + 12 reb, Czyz 19 pts + 7 reb, Lawal 17 pts + 9 reb, Taylor 14 pts, Goss 5 ass + 3 stl.

Fox Town Cantu': Tabu 24 pts + 4 ass, Leunen 19 pts (5/6 by 3), Aradori 15 pts + 6 reb, Mazzarino & Brooks 9 pts.

Beko Final Eight, quarterfinals: Varese 92 Milano 74 - by Armando Caporaso

In the second quarterfinals, maybe the more fascinating match, Varese wins the derby against Milano for 92-74. There isn't surprise and, despite Milano would be favourited playing also in 'his' Arena, the first power of the league exceeds the octave (as consuetude of the last years) and reach the semifinal where will meet Roma (that winning against Cantu' has eliminated the possibility of the second consecutive derby). Under the eye of 7730 spectators Mike Green (185-PG-85, college: Butler) (MVP of the game) wins the duel against Marques collecting a triple double and leading Varese to the victory defeating the 'battleship' Milano. At this point the season of Scariolo and his Milano can already consider bankruptcy? About the game Varese starts very good and does not stop his course despite the few minutes for Dunston (only 23, conditioned by fouls problems) and thanks the great 2 points percentage (23/40, 58%) stopping the comeback of Milano with a perfect last partial. For Milano good game only for Langford (top scorer) and Bourousis, but not enough.

Scariolo decides to start with Radosevic and the Croatian does not regret the choice of the coach with 8 points in 6 minutes (almost the 60% of the total final points of the team). In the first 5 minutes the center is the only player to score for Milano that undergoes a partial of 8-0 after the first basket of the match. Too many turnovers for the hosts (6), bad for now the performance of Marques Green in direction with 0/3 total. For the Cimberio great Dunston with 8 points, good work of Banks especially in the final with 6 points (4 consecutive) for the 21-14 at the end of the quarter. Negative note for Varese are the 2 fouls of Ere after only 8 minutes.
Like in the first quarter the center of the EA7 open with 2 points but this time is Bourousis. However music don't change and thanks the new entered Polonara and De Nicolao (both 5 points) Varese reaches an incredible +15 (35-20 at 15') despite the second foul of Dunston (out for precaution) and leading by Mike Green, already with 3 assist in the first quarter (7 after 20'). Milano, with a partial of 5-0, comeback on -10 but loses Radosevic because the third foul. In the last minutes the men of Vitucci controls and increase the advantage closing the first half 46-29 thanks 3 free throws of Ere and 2 points of Banks with a buzzerbeater after a traveling of Gentile (all in the last 2 seconds). Ere is the top scorer of the game with 9 points, always 8 for Radosevic of Milano.
In the third quarter Ere writes immediately +19 but Milano don't give up with Langford, Bourousis and, finally, the first 3 points of Marques Green. Unfortunately Varese wrong very few in attack, Mike Green scores 5 consecutive points and, helped by the energy of Polonara, the Cimberio maintains the separation. In the last 5 minutes but Milano comeback thanks the points of the Greek center (two '2+1') and the triples of Langford (4/6) take advantage of the absence of Dunston, on the bench for 4 fouls, 2 really near in this quarter. With 2 minutes less Marques Green sings the 3 points shot for the -6 and, after the fourth foul of Radosevic, just returned, Rush (with an amazing dunk) and Langford with another triple set the result on 66-58 for the 'visitors'.
During the last quarter rages Mike Green with 2 consecutive triple (the first of his match) for spacing again Milano (+13). Langford and Bourousis try to react but are too alone, across Ere (2 decisive triples) and Polonara not wrong and Varese has again 19 points of advantage with less than 5 minutes remaining on the clock. Signals of life in the final also for Hairston and Marques Green but probably is too late for the EA7. Polonara, with another two 3 points shots, close definitively the game and the numerous supporters of Varese can rejoice. Final result 92-74!

Cimberio Varese: Green 23 pts + 8 reb + 10 ass + 10 suf, Ere 17 pts, Polonara 16 pts (4/5 by 3), Banks 12 pts, Dunston 10 pts

EA7 Milano: Langford 23 pts, Bourousis 12 pts + 7 reb + 4 blk, Hairston 13 pts, Green 5 ass

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IVORY COAST

Souleyman Diabate selected the top Ivorian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Ivorians who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Souleyman Diabate

#1. This week's number one is an international point guard Souleyman Diabate (183-87, agency: Beo Basket, currently plays in France), who plays in the French ProA. He could not help Sluc Nancy (7-11) in their last game. Despite Diabate's very good performance Sluc Nancy was edged 75-73 on the road by the league outsider (#16) Boulazac Basket. He was the top scorer with 18 points. Diabate also added 4 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 37 minutes on the court. It was Sluc Nancy's third consecutive loss in a row. It's Diabate's first season with the team. Diabate is the league's best passer and also on the list of most steals (first place). He has very reliable stats this year: 14.4ppg, 4.6rpg, 6.7apg, 2.1spg, 2FGP: 47.5%, 3FGP: 34.0% and FT: 81.5% in the 18 games he played so far. Diabate has a dual citizenship: Ivorian and French. He is currently a member of the Ivorian senior national team.

Pape-Philippe Amagou

#2. Second place goes to an international guard Pape-Philippe Amagou (185-85, also represented by Beo Basket, currently plays in France), who plays in the French ProA. Amagou was not able to help Chorale de Roanne (8-10) in their last game on Monday. Despite his good performance Chorale de Roanne was edged in an overtime 89-87 in Le Mans by the much higher-ranked Le Mans (#3). Amagou scored 12 points and added 9 passes. Amagou has relatively good stats this season: 12.2ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.4apg, 2FGP: 39.2%, 3FGP: 37.5% and FT: 71.4%. He is another player who holds two passports: Ivorian and French. Despite Amagou played previously for the French U20 national team, he is currently a member of the Ivorian senior national team.

Adjehi Baru

#3. The Ivorian player who performed third best last week abroad was an international power forward Adjehi Baru (206-91, currently plays college basketball in the States). Baru contributed to Charleston's victory against the Appalachian State University (4-5) 72-59 in the NCAA on Wednesday night. He scored 9 points, had 6 rebounds, passed 4 assists and added 3 blocks in 32 minutes. The College of Charleston has a solid 8-3 conference record this season. It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row. This year Baru has relatively solid stats: 12.2ppg, 2.0rpg, 3.4apg, 2FGP: 39.2%, 3FGP: 37.5% and FT: 71.4% in the 18 games. He is also a member of the Ivorian senior national team.

Errick Craven

#4. Guard Errick Craven (188-83, college: USC, currently plays in France) was not able to secure a victory for Saint Vallier (7-14) in their game against Fos Ouest (12-9) in the French ProB (second division), despite his very good performance last Friday. Craven scored 14 points, had 4 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 38 minutes. But Saint Vallier lost 69-74 in Fos to the higher-ranked (#8) Ouest. It was Saint Vallier's fifth consecutive loss in a row. Craven is currently first on the league's list of best passers and also on the list of most steals (second place). This year he has very good stats: 14.9ppg, 5.2rpg, 7.0apg and 2.5spg in the 21 games. Craven has both American and Ivorian nationalities. He used to play for the Ivorian national team back in 2011.

Mamadou Lamizana

#5. Former international power forward Mamadou Lamizana (207-81, agency: Top Notch Sports, college: Rutgers, currently plays in Taiwan) led Yulon Luxgen to a victory over the closely-ranked Taiwan Mobile (13-11) 70-64 in the Taiwanese SBL in Friday night's game. He was MVP of the game. Lamizana had a double-double by scoring 31 points and getting 12 rebounds. He also added 4 blocks in 39 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Yulon Luxgen (13-12) is placed fourth in the SBL. Lamizana has individually a very good year with high stats. He averages: 22.3ppg, 11.8rpg, 3.2apg, 3.2bpg and 1.1spg in the nine games. Lamizana also holds two passports: Ivorian and French. He used to play for the Ivorian national team two years ago.

Herve Toure

#6. Forward Herve Toure (202-82, currently plays in France) is a teammate of previously mentioned Souleyman Diabate and both played together in the last French ProA game. Toure couldn't help Sluc Nancy (7-11) in their game against Boulazac Basket (5-13). He scored only 4 points. Sluc Nancy was edged 75-73 in Boulazac by the league outsider Basket (#16). Toure's overall stats this season are: 5.5ppg and 3.8rpg. He is a former international player as he played for the Ivorian senior team three years ago.

Wilfrid Aka

   #7. An experienced international swingman Wilfrid Aka (192-79, currently plays in France) couldn't help Blois (9-8) in their game against Angers BC 49 (6-12) in the French NM1 (third division). Aka recorded 7 points. Blois was edged 61-60 in Angers by the lower-ranked BC 49 (#13). Aka's overall stats this season are: 4.8ppg, 2.6rpg and 1.3apg. He is also Ivorian national team player.

The list of other players, who all have Ivorian passport but never been selected to any of Ivorian national teams:

   #1. Alain Koffi (207-C-83, agency: Beo Basket, currently plays in France) managed to help Le Mans Sarthe Basket to win in overtime against the tenth-ranked Chorale de Roanne (8-10) 89-87 in the French ProA in Monday night's game. Koffi scored only 4 points. Le Mans Sarthe Basket (12-6) is placed third in the ProA. This season Koffi averages: 7.0ppg and 3.7rpg. He has a dual citizenship: Ivorian and French.

   #2. Patrick Konan (198-F-90, currently plays college basketball in the States), who plays in the NCAA could not help the New Hampshire (2-8) in their last game on Wednesday. Despite Konan's very good performance the New Hampshire was defeated 63-48 on the road by the University of Vermont. He recorded 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Konan has reliable stats this season: 14.9ppg, 5.2rpg, 7.0apg and 2.5spg.

   #3. Kafil Eyitayo (201-F, currently plays in Canada) contributed to an easy victory against the Rouge et Or (3-8) 74-59 in the Canadian university league CIS on Saturday night. Eyitayo scored only 2 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and made 5 blocks in 24 minutes. The Concordia University has a solid 8-4 record this season. There are only four games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical. Eyitayo is one of the most experienced players in a team as it's his fifth year in Concordia University's roster. He is currently third on the league's list of best blockers with 1.8bpg. This year Eyitayo's other stats are: 9.2ppg and 9.5rpg in the 12 games he played so far.

   #4. Mohamed Toure (190-G-92, agency: Players Group, currently plays in Italy) contributed to Omegna's victory against the closely-ranked Firenze (10-3) 81-72 in the Italian Nazionale A (third division) in Sunday night's game. He scored 6 points. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Paffoni Omegna (12-8) is placed third in the Nazionale A. It was his team's fifth consecutive victory in a row. Toure's overall stats this season are: 8.2ppg, 2.1rpg and 1.6apg. He is another player who holds two passports: Ivorian and Italian. Despite Toure's Ivorian nationality, he currently plays for the Italian U20 national team and is not eligible to play for the Ivorian team.

   #5. Rolic Medenouvo (194-F-90, currently plays in France) was not able to help Vendee Challans (6-12) in their game against JA Vichy (14-4) in the French NM1 (third division). Medenouvo recorded 7 points in 23 minutes. Vendee Challans was badly defeated 71-54 in Vichy by the leading JA Vichy. It was Vendee Challans' third consecutive loss in a row. This year Medenouvo's overall stats are: 3.3ppg and 1.8rpg in the 17 games. He has both Ivorian and French nationalities.

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JAMAICA

Roy Hibbert's double-double lands him Player of the Week award among Jamaicans playing currently abroad - by Eurobasket Center

Traditionally, every week we bring you a list of the top performances of Jamaicans who are currently playing abroad.

Roy Hibbert

#1. This week's number one is former international center Roy Hibbert (218-86, college: Georgetown, currently plays in NBA). He led Indiana Pacers to a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers (21-27) 88-69 in the NBA in Wednesday night's game. Hibbert was MVP of the game. He had a double-double by scoring 18 points and getting 14 rebounds. Hibbert also added 5 blocks in 34 minutes on the court. The Indiana Pacers have a solid 31-19 record this season. It was his team's fifth consecutive victory in a row. It's Hibbert's fifth year with the team. He belongs to league's best blockers and is ranked #4 with 2.6bpg. Hibbert also averaged so far 10.0ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.5apg, 2FGP: 41.9% in the 50 games he played so far. He is a naturalized American. Hibbert played for the Jamaican senior national team three years ago.

Kevin Young

#2. Second place goes to former international center Kevin Young (206-84, college: Missouri, currently plays in Japan). Young was the main contributor in an Aishin Sea Horses' victory against one of league's weakest teams Mitsubishi Dolphins (8-20) crushing them 85-63 in the Japanese JBL last Saturday. He was the best player in that game. Young scored 16 points in 20 minutes. Aishin Sea Horses (23-5) are placed first in the JBL. It's Young's first season with the team. This year he averages: 9.8ppg, 6.9rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 56.2%(113-201) and FT: 60.3% in the 27 games. Young played for the Jamaican national team in 2006.

Ronald Yates

#3. The Jamaican player who performed third best last week abroad was former international forward Ronald Yates (201-83, college: St.Peter's, currently plays in Switzerland). Yates contributed to Fribourg's victory against the fifth-ranked Lugano Tigers (9-8) 74-62 in the Swiss LNA in Wednesday night's game. He scored 13 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and dished 6 assists in 32 minutes. Benetton Fribourg Olympic (15-2) is placed first in the LNA. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. They will play only one more game in the Regular Season. And that game will be critical. Yates has relatively good stats this year: 12.6ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.5apg, 2FGP: 48.8%, 3FGP: 18.2% and FT: 62.2% in the 17 games. He is a naturalized American. Yates played for the Jamaican national team three years ago.

Ryan Reid

#4. Power forward Ryan Reid (203-86, college: Florida St., currently plays in France), who plays in the French ProA could not help Chorale de Roanne (8-10) to beat Le Mans (12-6). Reid scored 5 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 16 minutes. Chorale de Roanne was edged in an overtime 89-87 on the road by the much higher-ranked (#3) Le Mans. This year Reid's overall stats are: 5.5ppg and 4.1rpg in the 15 games. He is a naturalized American. Reid used to play for the Jamaican national team back in 2011.

Patrick Ewing Jr.

#5. International forward Patrick Ewing Jr. (203-84, college: Georgetown, currently plays in Spain) managed to help Blancos de Rueda Valladolid in a 2-point victoryagainst the ninth-ranked FIATC Joventut (10-10) 69-67 in the Spanish ACB on Saturday night. Ewing Jr. scored only 4 points in 7 minutes on the court. Blancos de Rueda Valladolid (8-12) is placed 14th in the ACB. This year Ewing Jr.'s total stats are: 5.8ppg and 1.5rpg in the four games. He is a naturalized American. Ewing Jr. plays currently for the Jamaican national team.

Vashil Fernandez

   #6. Forward Vashil Fernandez (208-92, currently plays college basketball in the States) contributed to an easy victory against the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (1-6) crushing them 71-40 in the NCAA in Friday night's game. He scored 6 points and blocked 2 blocks. The Valparaiso University has a very good 7-2 conference record this season. Fernandez has averaged so far 5.8ppg and 1.5rpg. He is a naturalized American. Fernandez is an international player who is currently on the senior Jamaican National Team roster.

The list of other players, who all have Jamaican passport but never been selected to any of Jamaican national teams:

   #1. Jevohn Shepherd (196-F-86, college: Michigan, currently plays in Romania) led CSM Bucuresti to a victory over the 13th-ranked Timba Timosoara (5-15) crushing them 77-56 in the Romanian Liga Nationala last Saturday. He was the best player in that game. Shepherd scored 26 points (!!!), grabbed 7 rebounds and dished 3 assists. CS Municipal Bucuresti (13-7) is placed seventh in the Liga Nationala. It's Shepherd's first season with the team. Shepherd is currently third on the league's list of top scorers. He has individually a very good season with high stats. Shepherd averages: 19.1ppg, 4.5rpg, 2.1apg and 1.8spg. He has a dual citizenship: Canadian and Jamaican.

   #2. Corey Muirhead (197-F-83, college: W.Carolina, currently plays in Czech Republic) was the main contributor in a BK Pardubice's victory against the third-ranked BK Lions Hradec crushing them 88-65 in the Czech Republic NBL on Saturday night. Muirhead was the best player in that game. He recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in 33 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 3 ranked teams in Group A1. BK JIP Pardubiceis placed third. Muirhead is ranked fourth on the list of the best rebounders in the league with 8.2rpg. This year his other stats are: 14.0ppg, 3.2apg and 1.2spg in the 22 games he played so far. Muirhead is another player who holds two passports: Canadian and Jamaican.

   #3. Sherman Gay (201-PF-82, college: Loyola Mary, currently plays in France), who plays in the French ProB (second division) could not help Le Portel (14-7) in their last game on Friday. Despite his very good performance Le Portel was edged 68-65 on the road by the league outsider Bordeaux (#18). Gay was the top scorer with 22 points. He also added 8 rebounds and made 3 blocks. Gay is currently second on the list of best blockers. This season he has very high stats. Gay averages: 16.8ppg, 6.3rpg and 1.8bpg. He is a naturalized American.

   #4. Jermaine Bucknor (199-F-83, college: Richmond, currently plays in Germany), who plays in the German BBL was not able to help TBB Trier (10-10) in their last game on Sunday. Despite his good performance TBB Trier was defeated 86-82 at home by the second-ranked ratiopharm Ulm. Bucknor was the top scorer with 14 points. Bucknor's overall stats this season are: 7.9ppg and 2.5rpg. He has both Jamaican and Canadian nationalities.

   #5. Experienced Bryan Bailey (185-SG-80, college: Bucknell, currently plays in Germany) was not able to secure a victory for BBC Bayreuth (9-12) in their game against EnBW Ludwigsburg (7-14) in the German BBL. Despite his good performance last Saturday He scored 12 points and added 3 assists. This season Bailey has relatively solid stats: 12.2ppg, 2.7rpg and 2.7apg. He is a naturalized American.

   #6. Jermaine Anderson (188-G-83, college: Fordham, currently plays in Germany) couldn't help New Yorker Phantoms in their game against Brose Baskets Bamberg in the German BBL, despite his good performance on Monday night. Anderson scored 11 points, had 4 rebounds and dished 6 assists in 27 minutes. But his team was badly defeated by 19 points 93-74. This year Anderson's overall stats are: 7.3ppg, 1.8rpg and 2.0apg in the eight games. He also holds two passports: Canadian and Jamaican.

   #7. Garry Gallimore (192-G-84, currently plays in Romania) contributed to Timisoara's victory against the 14th-ranked Oradea 63-56 in the Romanian Liga Nationala in Saturday night's game. Gallimore scored 8 points and added 4 passes. Gallimore's overall stats this season are: 9.8ppg, 2.5rpg and 2.5apg. He has dual citizenship: Jamaican and Canadian. Despite Gallimore's Jamaican passport, he previously played for the Canadian university national team and is probably not eligible to play for the Jamaican team.

   #8. Neveij Walters (198-F, currently plays college basketball in the States) couldn't help the Idaho St. in their game against the University of Northern Colorado in the NCAA, despite his good performance last Thursday. Walters recorded 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 22 minutes. But his team lost 63-78. This year Walters' overall stats are: 9.8ppg, 2.5rpg and 2.5apg in the six games.

   #9. Sebastian Douglas (193-G-91, currently studies in the States) contributed to a Cleveland St.'s victory against the Youngstown State University 66-60 in the NCAA on Tuesday night. He scored 10 points. Douglas' overall stats this season are: 9.8ppg, 2.5rpg and 2.5apg. He is a naturalized American.

   #10. Hugh Robinson (202-C-83, currently plays in Sweden) was the major contributor in a Brahe Basket's victory against the eighth-ranked Talje Knights 73-66 in the Swedish Basketettan (second division) last Sunday. He recorded a double-double by scoring 15 points and getting 16 rebounds. Robinson also added 4 blocks. Robinson is the league's best blocker. He has very reliable stats this season: 13.9ppg, 7.4rpg, 2.4bpg and 1.2spg.

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KAZAKHSTAN

Standings -D1

D1 Standings

1. BC Astana		15-0
2. Barsy Atyrau		8-4
3. Tobol		5-10
4. Kaspiy Aktau		4-6
5. BK Almaty		4-12
6. BK Kapshagay		2-6

Regular Season: Round 14

Feb. 4: Barsy Atyrau - BK Almaty 79-63
Feb. 6: BC Astana - Tobol 114-80
Feb. 5: Barsy Atyrau - BK Almaty 108-60
Feb. 7: BC Astana - Tobol
Feb. 9: Kaspiy Aktau - BK Kapshagay
Feb. 10: Kaspiy Aktau - BK Kapshagay

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KOSOVO

Sigal Prishtina presents Akida McLain - by Dren Shporta

Record champions of Kosovo, Sigal Prishtina, today in a press conference have presented american basketball player, their new enforcement, Akida McLain (206-F-86, college: Indiana, PA).

This is the first international signing of former champions in winter market after parting roads with Adam Waleskowski and Jeremy Price.

McLain has played recently at Cyprus for Etha basketball team. Sigal Prishtina is in second position in the ranking with same record as league leader Peja.

With Devan Downey in team, McLain is second international player there.

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LATVIA

Janis Blums selected the top Latvian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

Here is the weekly review of the top performing Latvian players, who play currently abroad.

Janis Blums

#1. This week's number one is an international shooting guard Janis Blums (191-82, currently plays in VTB United League). He led his Lithuanian team Lietuvos rytas to a victory over the closely-ranked BC Astana (7-6) crushing them 93-60 in the VTB United League in Sunday night's game. Blums was MVP of the game. He recorded 19 points and added 5 assists in 22 minutes on the court. Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius (7-6) is placed fifth in group A. Blums has relatively good stats this year: 11.4ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.4apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 39.1%, 3FGP: 41.7% and FT: 88.9% in the 11 games he played so far. He is currently a member of the Latvian senior national team.

Rihards Kuksiks

#2. Second place goes to an international small forward Rihards Kuksiks (197-88, college: Arizona St., currently plays in Ukraine). Kuksiks was the main contributor in Budivelnyk's victory against the league outsider BC Kyiv (6-21) 72-62 in a derby game in the Ukrainian Superleague last Sunday. He was the best player in that game. Kuksiks recorded 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. It was his first game for Budivelnyk this season; quite an impressive performance considering it's only his second season in pro basketball. His team is placed first in the Superleague. Kuksiks is in the roster of the Latvian senior national team.

Juris Umbrasko

#3. The Latvian player who performed third best last week abroad was an experienced former international swingman Juris Umbrasko (197-79, currently plays in Estonia). He contributed to a 1-point BC Rakvere's victory against the fifth-ranked Valga (9-11) 75-74 in the Estonian KML on Tuesday night. Umbrasko was the top player that evening. He scored 15 points, had 5 boards, dished 3 assists and stole 3 balls in 36 minutes. BC Rakvere Tarvas (16-5) is placed first in the KML. This year Umbrasko has relatively solid stats: 13.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 2.2apg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 47.7%, 3FGP: 36.8% and FT: 81.0% in the 17 games. He played for the Latvian national team five years ago.

Maris Laksa

#4. Forward Maris Laksa (205-81, college: Providence, currently plays in Estonia) is a teammate of previously mentioned Juris Umbrasko. But that was another game of his team in Estonian KML which we would like to mention. Laksa, who plays in the Estonian KML could not help BC Rakvere (16-5) in their last game on Friday. Despite his very good performance the league leader BC Rakvere was defeated 96-90 on the road by the lower-ranked KK Parnu (#7). Laksa was the second best scorer with 19 points. He also added 4 rebounds. Laksa is currently first on the list of top scorers. He has individually a very good season with high stats. Laksa averages: 16.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.3apg and 1.3spg. He used to play for the Latvian national team back in 2003.

Armands Skele

#5. International guard Armands Skele (192-83, currently plays in Estonia) was the major contributor in Kalev/Cramo's victory against the closely-ranked Valga (9-11) crushing them 70-48 in the Estonian KML last Friday. Skele scored 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in 34 minutes. BC Kalev/Cramo Tallinn (12-5) is placed third in the KML. It was his team's sixth consecutive victory in a row. Skele has reliable stats this year: 10.7ppg, 5.8rpg and 2.5apg in the six games. He plays currently for the Latvian national team.

Edgars Jeromanovs

#6. Point guard Edgars Jeromanovs (186-86, currently plays in Sweden) contributed to a Norrkoping Dolphins' victory against the closely-ranked Sodertalje Kings (16-7) 78-71 in the Swedish Basketligan on Friday night. Jeromanovs was the top player that evening. He recorded 17 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Norrkoping Dolphins (19-2) is placed second in the Basketligan. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. Jeromanovs belongs to league's best passers and is ranked #6. He has very reliable stats this season: 12.1ppg, 3.2rpg, 4.3apg and 1.4spg. Jeromanovs is an international player who is currently on the senior Latvian National Team roster.

Janis Strelnieks

#7. International point guard Janis Strelnieks (191-89, currently plays in Russia) was not able to help one of league's weakest teams Spartak St.Petersburg (7-5) in their game against Khimky (8-2) in the Russian PBL. He scored 7 points in 21 minutes. Spartak St.Petersburg lost 60-72 in Khimki to the second-ranked Khimky. This year Strelnieks' overall stats are: 4.6ppg and 1.4apg in the nine games. He is also Latvian national team player.

Andris Biedrins

#8. Center Andris Biedrins (213-86, currently plays in NBA) was not able to secure a victory for the Golden State Warriors (30-19) in their game against the Oklahoma City Thunder (37-12) in the NBA. Biedrins cannot count Wednesday's game as one of the best ones. He scored only 2 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and made 3 blocks. The Golden State Warriors were crushed 119-98 in Oklahoma City by the Thunder. It's Biedrins' ninth season with the team. Biedrins' total stats this year are: 0.6ppg and 3.1rpg. He used to play for the Latvian national team back in 2009.

Edgars Cunda

#9. Former U18 international guard Edgars Cunda (195-84, currently plays in Estonia) faced previously mentioned Juris Umbrasko in the Estonian KML last game. Cunda, who plays in the Estonian KML couldn't help Valga (9-11) in their last game. Despite his very good performance Valga was edged 75-74 in Rakvere by the leading BC Rakvere. Cunda was the top scorer with 21 points. He also added 9 boards, handed out 5 passes and blocked 2 shots in 34 minutes. Cunda belongs to league's best passers and is ranked #4 with 3.9apg. This year his other stats are: 11.6ppg, 6.3rpg and 1.4spg in the 19 games. Cunda used to play for the Latvian U18 national team eleven years ago.

Zintis Plivda

   #10. Center Zintis Plivda (206-88, currently plays in Belarus) helped Rubon win their game against the closely-ranked Svisloch (5-13) 83-72 in the Belarusian Premier League in Tuesday night's game. He was the top player that evening. Plivda scored 22 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. BK Rubon Vitebsk (9-9) is placed third in the Premier League. They ended the series of six consecutive loses. Plivda's stats this season are: 12.5ppg and 9.0rpg. He is a former U20 international player as five years ago he still played for the Latvian national team.

   #11. Former international center Kaspars Kambala (206-78, agency: Alti Sport, college: UNLV, currently plays in Turkey) helped Pi Koleji win their game against the closely-ranked Pertevniyal 76-67 in the Turkish TB2L (second division) last Friday. Kambala had a double-double by scoring 22 points and getting 11 rebounds in 39 minutes. Kambala has very impressive stats this year: 24.5ppg and 13.0rpg in the two games. He used to play for the Latvian national team four years ago.

   #12. Former international forward Ernests Kalve (200-87, currently plays in Adriatic League) couldn't help Szolnok in their game against Zvezda in the Adriatic League. Kalve scored 7 points. His team was defeated 96-83. Kalve's total stats this season are: 8.6ppg, 3.3rpg and 1.1spg. He used to play for the Latvian national team back in 2010.

   #13. Former U19 international center Aleksejs Rostovs (208-92, currently plays college basketball in the States) helped W.Kentucky win their game against the Troy University 65-61 in the NCAA in Thursday night's game. Rostovs recorded 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 24 minutes. This year Rostovs' total stats are: 8.6ppg, 3.3rpg and 1.1spg in the 20 games. He used to play for the Latvian U19 national team two years ago.

   #14. Former international forward Ivars Timermanis (203-82, currently plays in Romania), who plays in the Romanian Liga Nationala couldn't help Ploiesti (13-7) in their last game on Saturday. Despite Timermanis' good performance Ploiesti was defeated 97-88 at home by the higher-ranked U-Mobitelco (#3). He scored 10 points. Timermanis averaged so far 10.3ppg, 3.5rpg and 1.1apg. He used to play for the Latvian national team back in 2007.

   #15. Former University international guard Martins Kravcenko (192-85, currently plays in Ukraine), who plays in the Ukrainian Superleague couldn't help Mykolaiv (2-3) in their last game. Despite Kravcenko's good performance Mykolaiv was badly defeated 82-63 in Dnepropetrovsk by the one of league's weakest teams (#13) Dnipro. He recorded 10 points in 28 minutes. Kravcenko has averaged so far 6.1ppg, 2.2rpg and 1.6apg in the 28 games. He used to play for the Latvian university national team four years ago.

The list of other players, who all have Latvian passport but never been selected to any of Latvian national teams:

   #1. Matiss Sakne (191-G-91, currently plays in Denmark), who plays in the Danish Ligaen could not help one of league's weakest teams Horsens IC (17-6) to beat Bakken (18-5). Sakne recorded 5 points in 18 minutes. Horsens IC was badly defeated 98-79 on the road by the second-ranked Bakken. There are only four games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical. Sakne has averaged so far 3.9ppg, 1.4rpg and 1.1apg in the 21 games he played so far.

   #2. Experienced Gary Gandel (203-G/F-80, agency: Ronsport, currently plays in Israel) contributed to a Hod Hasharon's victory against the 11th-ranked Beer Yaakov (5-11) 89-76 in the Israeli National League (second division) on Wednesday night. He recorded 6 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Maccabi Hod Hasharon (12-4) is placed third in the National League. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. It's Gandel's first season with the team. Gandel averaged so far 13.5ppg, 3.5rpg and 1.5apg. He has a dual citizenship: Latvian and Israeli.

   #3. Martins Berkis (198-F-85, agency: TSS Management, currently plays in Hungary) was not able to help Marso NYKK (7-12) in their game against Atomeromu (14-8) in the Hungarian A Division. Berkis recorded 8 points. Marso NYKK was badly defeated 91-73 at home by the much higher-ranked Atomeromu (#3). There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game is very crucial. Berkis has individually a very good season with high stats. He averages: 15.3ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.3apg and 1.4spg.

   #4. Edmunds Tukiss (200-SF-89, currently plays in Germany) managed to help Dragons Rhoendorf in a victory against the tenth-ranked Dresden (6-11) 82-69 in the German ProB (third division) last Saturday. Tukiss scored only 1 points in 10 minutes. Dragons Rhoendorf (15-2) is placed first in Group South. Tukiss has averaged so far 8.4ppg and 2.5rpg in the 15 games.

   #5. Ugis Promolds (190-G-88, currently plays in Denmark) was not able to secure a victory for SISU (16-0) in their game against Bakken (18-5) in the Danish Ligaen. He cannot count Thursday's game as one of the best ones. Promolds scored only 2 points. The league leader SISU was crushed 93-68 on their home court in Copenhagen by the second-ranked Bakken. There are only four games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be important. Promolds has averaged so far 1.9ppg and 1.1rpg.

   #6. Martins Abele (216-C-90, currently plays college basketball in the States) couldn't help the Duquesne in their game against the The George Washington University in the NCAA. He cannot count Wednesday's game as one of the best ones. Abele recorded only 1 points in 4 minutes on the court. His team was crushed by 22 points 79-57. Abele has averaged so far 1.9ppg and 1.1rpg in the 16 games.

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LITHUANIA

Darius Songaila's 31 points make him top Lithuanian player abroad of the week - by Eurobasket Center

Here is the weekly review of the top performing Lithuanian players, who play currently abroad.

Darius Songaila

#1. This week's number one is an experienced international power forward Darius Songaila (204-78, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wake Forest, currently plays in Ukraine), who plays in the Ukrainian Superleague. He could not help BC Donetsk (13-14) in their last game. Despite Songaila's very good performance BC Donetsk was edged 88-85 on the road by the second-ranked Azovmash. He was the top scorer with 31 points. Songaila also added 6 rebounds and 2 blocks (made all of his seven free throws) in 33 minutes on the court. It was BC Donetsk's third consecutive loss in a row. It's Songaila's first season with the team. He has individually a very good year with high stats. Songaila averages: 15.9ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.7apg, 1.3spg, 2FGP: 56.7%(122-215) and FT: 81.9% in the 19 games he played so far. He is currently a member of the Lithuanian senior national team.

Donatas Zavackas

#2. Second place goes to former U20 international forward Donatas Zavackas (203-80, college: Pittsburgh, currently plays in VTB United League). Zavackas led his Latvian team VEF Riga to a victory over the seventh-ranked Enisey Krasnoyarsk (5-8) 85-69 in the VTB United League last Monday. He was MVP of the game. Zavackas recorded 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. VEF Riga (9-4) is placed fourth in group B. Zavackas has relatively good stats this season: 11.2ppg, 4.8rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 54.5%, 3FGP: 51.7%(31-60) and FT: 66.7%. He played for the Lithuanian U20 national team in 2000.

Jonas Maciulis

#3. The Lithuanian player who performed third best last week abroad was an international swingman Jonas Maciulis (199-85, currently plays in Euroleague). Maciulis contributed to a 3-point Panathinaikos' victory against the eighth-ranked Brose Baskets Bamberg (0-6) 76-73 in the Euroleague on Friday night. He scored 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 28 minutes. Panathinaikos Athens (4-2) is placed fourth in group E. This year Maciulis has relatively solid stats: 10.4ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.1apg, 2FGP: 57.4%(31-54), 3FGP: 39.4% and FT: 74.3% in the 16 games. He is also a member of the Lithuanian senior national team.

Mindaugas Lukauskis

#4. Guard Mindaugas Lukauskis (198-79, currently plays in Turkey) was the main contributor in Tofas' victory against the fifth-ranked Mersin (11-5) 88-85 in the Turkish TBL in Sunday night's game. Lukauskis was the best player in that game. He scored 21 points (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Tofas Bursa (7-10) is placed ninth in the TBL. Lukauskis has reliable stats this season: 12.5ppg and 2.0apg. He used to play for the Lithuanian national team back in 2011.

Mantas Kalnietis

#5. International point guard Mantas Kalnietis (195-86, agency: Interperformances, currently plays in VTB United League) was the major contributor in Lokomotiv's victory against the fifth-ranked BC Nizhny Novgorod (7-6) 75-74 in the VTB United League last Sunday. Kalnietis recorded 12 points and added 5 assists in 28 minutes. Lokomotiv Kuban (9-4) is placed third in group B. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. Kalnietis' stats this year are: 12.0ppg, 1.7rpg and 4.0apg in the nine games. He plays currently for the Lithuanian national team.

Sarunas Jasikevicius

#6. Point guard Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-76, college: Maryland, currently plays in Euroleague) contributed to an easy victory against the closely-ranked Montepaschi Siena (5-1) 85-66 in the Euroleague in Thursday night's game. Jasikevicius scored 8 points in 16 minutes. It was the game of the round between two top 2 ranked teams in group F. Regal FC Barcelona (5-1) is placed first. It was his team's fourth consecutive victory in a row. This year Jasikevicius' overall stats are: 4.3ppg and 1.5apg in the 16 games. He is an international player who is currently on the senior Lithuanian National Team roster.

Michailis Anisimovas

#7. Former University international center Michailis Anisimovas (214-84, currently plays in Ukraine) contributed to Budivelnyk's victory against the league outsider BC Kyiv (6-21) 72-62 in a derby game in the Ukrainian Superleague last Sunday. Anisimovas recorded 13 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Budivelnyk Kyiv (20-7) is placed first in the Superleague. Anisimovas is one of the most experienced players in a team as it's his fourth year in Budivelnyk's roster. His total stats this season are: 9.6ppg, 4.5rpg and 1.3apg. Anisimovas used to play for the Lithuanian university national team six years ago.

Augustas Peciukevicius

#8. Guard Augustas Peciukevicius (192-91, currently plays in Estonia) contributed to a KK Parnu's surprising victory against the league leader BC Rakvere (16-5) 96-90 in the Estonian KML on Friday night. He was the top player that evening. Peciukevicius scored 31 points (!!!), grabbed 5 rebounds and dished 9 assists in 38 minutes. KK Parnu (7-10) is placed seventh in the KML. Peciukevicius has very impressive stats this year: 15.7ppg, 5.8rpg, 5.7apg and 1.7spg in the 16 games. He used to play for the Lithuanian university national team back in 2011.

Donatas Slanina

#9. Former international guard Donatas Slanina (192-77, currently plays in Italy) helped Trenkwalder RE win their game against the fifth-ranked Lottomatica Roma (12-6) 96-93 in the Italian SerieA in Sunday night's game. Slanina scored 17 points and added 3 passes. Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia (9-9) is placed ninth in the SerieA. Slanina has been at the team for four years. This season he averages only 3.8ppg. Slanina used to play for the Lithuanian national team nine years ago.

Tomas Delininkaitis

   #10. Guard Tomas Delininkaitis (190-82, currently plays in Ukraine) helped Cherkasy win their game against the tenth-ranked Kryvbasbasket (11-16) 90-77 in the Ukrainian Superleague last Friday. He recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists (made all of his ten free throws !!!) in 25 minutes. SK Cherkasy Monkeys (15-13) is placed sixth in the Superleague. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. Delininkaitis averaged so far 14.7ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.4apg and 1.1spg in the 15 games. He is an international player who is currently on the senior Lithuanian National Team roster.

   #11. International center Antanas Kavaliauskas (207-84, also represented by Interperformances, college: Texas A&M, currently plays in VTB United League) is a teammate of previously mentioned Donatas Zavackas and both played together in the last VTB United League game. Kavaliauskas helped his Latvian team VEF Riga win their game against the seventh-ranked Enisey Krasnoyarsk 85-69. He recorded 8 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Kavaliauskas' total stats this season are: 9.3ppg and 5.3rpg. He plays currently for the Lithuanian national team.

   #12. Former international power forward Donatas Motiejunas (213-90, another player represented by Interperformances, currently plays in NBA) managed to help Houston Rockets to win against the Golden State Warriors crushing them 140-109 in the NBA last Tuesday. He recorded 5 points. This season Motiejunas averages only 2.1ppg. He used to play for the Lithuanian national team back in 2011.

   #13. Former U20 international point guard Evaldas Zabas (188-88, currently plays in Czech Republic) helped BK Pardubice win their game against the third-ranked BK Lions Hradec crushing them 88-65 in the Czech Republic NBL on Saturday night. Zabas recorded 14 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in 20 minutes. Zabas is ranked fifth on the list of the top scorers in the league with 17.3ppg. This year his other stats are: 3.6rpg, 3.3apg and 1.3spg in the 22 games. Zabas used to play for the Lithuanian U20 national team five years ago.

   #14. Former U21 international forward Vaidotas Pridotkas (200-84, currently plays in France), who plays in the French ProB (second division) was not able to help Charleville-Mezieres (7-11) in their last game. Despite Pridotkas' very good performance Charleville-Mezieres lost 71-75 in Bourg to the higher-ranked (#7) JL Bourg. He was the top scorer with 22 points. Pridotkas also added 8 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 35 minutes. Pridotkas averaged so far 14.0ppg, 5.8rpg and 1.4apg in the 21 games. He used to play for the Lithuanian U21 national team back in 2005.

   #15. Former U21 international power forward Valdas Dabkus (204-84, currently plays in Poland) helped Energa Czarni win their game against the closely-ranked Trefl Sopot crushing them 83-63 in the Polish TBL in Sunday night's game. He recorded 6 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 19 minutes. This year Dabkus' total stats are: 8.9ppg, 6.7rpg and 1.1spg in the 19 games. He used to play for the Lithuanian U21 national team ten years ago.

The list of other players, who all have Lithuanian passport but never been selected to any of Lithuanian national teams:

   #1. Experienced Christopher Young (206-F/C-79, college: Michigan, currently plays in Belgium) led Okapi Aalstar to a 3-point victory against the closely-ranked Spirou Charleroi (7-6) 100-97 in the Belgian Ethias League on Friday night. Young recorded a double-double by scoring 16 points and getting 10 rebounds. Generali Okapi Aalstar (9-6) is placed third in the Ethias League. Young is currently seventh on the list of best rebounders. His overall stats this season are: 7.3ppg and 6.2rpg. Young is a naturalized American. Strangely he has never played in Lithuania.

   #2. Benas Veikalas (192-G-83, college: Metro St., currently plays in Germany) contributed to an easy victory against the 11th-ranked s Oliver Baskets (9-11) 74-58 in the German BBL in Saturday night's game. Veikalas scored 8 points, had 8 rebounds and dished 4 assists in 30 minutes. Telekom Baskets Bonn (10-10) is placed seventh in the BBL. It was his team's third consecutive victory in a row. Veikalas averaged so far 10.7ppg, 2.7rpg and 1.2apg in the 20 games he played so far.

   #3. Nik Stauskas (198-G-93, currently plays college basketball in the States) led Michigan to an overtime victory against the Ohio State University (7-3) 76-74 in the NCAA in Tuesday night's game. He scored 11 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. The University of Michigan has quite an impressive 8-2 conference record this season. Stauskas' total stats this year are:, 3.6rpg, 3.3apg and 1.3spg. He has a dual citizenship: Canadian and Lithuanian. Despite Stauskas' Lithuanian passport, he previously played for the Canadian U19 national team and is probably not eligible to play for the Lithuanian team.

   #4. Gabas Maldunas (203-F-93, currently studies in the States) led Dartmouth to a victory against the Yale University (1-2) 71-62 in the NCAA on Saturday night. Maldunas scored 16 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. The Dartmouth College has 1-2 conference record this season. Maldunas averaged so far 14.0ppg, 5.8rpg and 1.4apg.

   #5. Vytautas Kamarunas (179-PG-89, currently plays in Belarus) led Tsmoki-Minsk II to a victory over one of league's weakest teams Borisfen (3-15) 66-52 in the Belarusian Premier League on Thursday night. Kamarunas was the top player that evening. He scored 18 points, grabbed 8 boards, dished 6 assists and stole 4 balls in 36 minutes. Tsmoki-Minsk 2nd team (8-10) is placed fourth in the Premier League. Kamarunas averaged so far 13.0ppg, 3.4rpg, 6.0apg and 3.2spg in the five games.

   #6. Arturas Masiulis (210-C-80, currently plays in United Kingdom) contributed to a Worcester Wolves' victory against one of league's weakest teams Manchester Giants 88-75 in the British BBL on Friday night. He recorded 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. Masiulis averaged so far 12.7ppg, 7.2rpg and 1.4apg.

   #7. Nerijus Brasas (200-F-85, currently plays in Denmark) was the major contributor in Naestved's victory against the closely-ranked Randers 80-77 in the Danish Ligaen last Wednesday. He scored 16 points in 28 minutes. Brasas has averaged so far 8.9ppg and 3.5rpg in the 23 games.

   #8. Petras Balocka (205-C/F-86, college: Hawaii, currently plays in France) was the main contributor in a Vendee Challans' victory against the closely-ranked Angers BC 49 79-65 in the French NM1 (third division) on Tuesday night. He was the top player that evening. Balocka scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Balocka averaged so far 11.0ppg, 5.5rpg and 1.5spg.

   #9. Zygimantas Jonusas (200-F-82, currently plays in Italy), who plays in the Italian SerieA could not help Juvecaserta to beat Angelico Biella. He cannot count Sunday's game as one of the best ones. Jonusas scored only 3 points in 31 minutes. His team was edged in an overtime 81-80. Jonusas has averaged so far 9.2ppg, 4.5rpg, 1.1apg and 1.3spg in the 17 games.

   #10. Rokas Garlauskas (198-F-92, currently plays in Denmark) was not able to help SISU in their game against Bakken in the Danish Ligaen. He scored 7 points. His team was crushed by 25 points 93-68. This season Garlauskas averages only 2.9ppg.

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LUXEMBOURG

Best players of Luxembourg Diekirch League round 1 (Second Stage) - by Eurobasket News

American Marcus Kennedy (193-F-84, agency: Interperformances) had an amazing evening in the last round for Residence and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 1 (Second Stage).
The 28-year old forward had the game-high 31 points adding eight rebounds and five assists for Residence in his team's victory, helping them to beat Etzella (#3, 12-7) 94-89. Residence is placed at 4th position in Luxembourg Diekirch League. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier in Second Stage. Residence will need more victories to improve their 10-8 record. In the team's last game Kennedy had a remarkable six three-pointers out of 12 attempts. He has many years of experience at Residence, through which he has constantly improved. Montevallo University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Kennedy is in league's top in points (3rd best: 24.6ppg), rebounds (8th best: 9.9rpg) and averages solid 2.4spg,54.1% FGP and 41.2% from behind 3-point line.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 22-year old American forward Chehales Tapscott (195-F-90) of Soleuvre. Tapscott impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds. Of course he lead Soleuvre to another comfortable win outscoring Black Star (1-18) 102-77. The Second Stage is still at the very beginning and this victory may help a lot. Let's wait for the next round. Tapscott is a newcomer at Soleuvre and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 21.7ppg (#6). He also registered 10.7 boards per game.

The third best performed player last round was another Soleuvre's star - American Mychal Green (193-G-83). Green got into 30-points club by scoring 42 points in the last round. He went also for nine rebounds . He was another key player of Soleuvre, helping his team with a 102-77 easy win against #-2 ranked Black Star in a game of the week. The chances of Soleuvre ranking at the top of Places 7-10, however are very questionable as they have already lost 11 games, recording just eight victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Green could help Soleuvre to bring them higher in the standings. Green has a great season in Luxembourg. After 19 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 26.2ppg (best scorer) and assists with 4.2apg (4th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Dustin Scott (203-F/C-85) of Residence - 24 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Leon Powell (200-F-88) of Contern - 19 points and 18 rebounds
6. Lee Fisher (195-F-89) of Amicale - 16 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Denell Stephens (190-F/G-86) of T71 - 19 points and 13 rebounds
8. Martin Rajniak (204-PF-78) of Basket Esch - 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Stefan Svitek (203-F/C-77) of Basket Esch - 18 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Lawrence Wright (194-F-84) of Basket Esch - 19 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists

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

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MONTENEGRO

BC Zepter Vienna released Zarko Rakocevic - by Darko Pekic

Montenegrin big man Zarko Rakocevic (204-F-84, agency: Interperformances) is officially a free agent after his former club, BC Zepter Vienna, decided to release, just three games before the end of first stage of the Austrian Championship. The center born and raised in Kolasin, appeared in 15 games for Vienna this season averaging 16.6 ppg along with 6.6 rpg while shooting 56.2% from the field. Rakocevic had trouble with his back troughout the season and failed to produce the numbers he had justa year ago in Vienna.

Rakocevic has started his career in Gorstak Kolasin but later he joined Buducnost and became member of the National Team and one of the team leaders. Last season he played in three leagues (Austria, Spain and Switzerland).

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NBA

Standings

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
1. New York K.		31-16
2. Brooklyn N.		29-20
3. Boston C.		26-23
4. Philadelph.76		21-27
5. Toronto R.		17-32
Central Div.
1. Indiana P.		31-19
2. Chicago B.		29-20
3. Milwaukee B.		25-23
4. Detroit P.		18-32
5. Cleveland C.		15-34
Southeast Div.
1. Miami Heat		32-14
2. Atlanta H.		27-21
3. Orlando M.		14-35
4. Washington W.		13-35
5. Charlotte B.		11-37
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
1. Oklah.City T.		37-12
2. Denver N.		32-18
3. Utah Jazz		28-22
4. Portland TB		25-24
5. Minnesota T.		18-28
Pacific Div.
1. LA Clippers		35-16
2. Golden St.W.		30-19
3. LA Lakers		23-27
4. Phoenix Suns		17-33
5. Sacramento K.		17-33
Southwest Div.
1. San Antonio S.		39-11
2. Memphis G.		30-18
3. Houston R.		27-24
4. Dallas M.		21-28
5. N.Orleans H.		16-33

Regular Season: Round 99

Feb. 7: Denver N. - Chicago B. 128-96
Feb. 7: Boston C. - LA Lakers 116-95

Regular Season: Round 100

Feb. 8: Washington W. - Brooklyn N.
Feb. 8: Charlotte B. - LA Lakers
Feb. 8: Indiana P. - Toronto R.
Feb. 8: Atlanta H. - N.Orleans H.
Feb. 8: Detroit P. - San Antonio S.
Feb. 8: Cleveland C. - Orlando M.
Feb. 8: Miami Heat - LA Clippers
Feb. 8: Memphis G. - Golden St.W.
Feb. 8: Houston R. - Portland TB
Feb. 8: Oklah.City T. - Phoenix Suns
Feb. 8: Minnesota T. - New York K.
Feb. 8: Utah Jazz - Chicago B.

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Kevin DURANT
  Oklah.Ci.
  (206-SF-88)
  Avg: 29.3

1. Durant, Oklah.Ci.	29.3
2. Anthony, New Y.	28.5
3. Bryant, LA Lakers	27.5
4. James, Miami Heat	26.8
5. Harden, Houston R.	25.8
6. Irving, Cleveland	23.9
7. Westbrook, Oklah..	22.6
8. Wade, Miami Heat	20.9
9. Aldridge, Portland.	20.7
10. Curry, Golden S.	20.7

Rebounds Per Game

Anderson VAREJAO
  Clevelan.
  (205-C-82)
  Avg: 14.4

1. Varejao, Clevelan.	14.4
2. Howard, LA Lakers	11.8
3. Randolph, Memph.	11.7
4. Asik, Houston R.	11.5
5. Vucevic, Orlan.	11.4
6. Chandler, New Y.	11.3
7. Noah, Chicago B.	11.2
8. Lee, Golden St.W.	11.0
9. Hickson, Portland.	10.7
10. Cousins, Sacramen.	10.0

Assists Per Game

Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 11

1. Rondo, Boston C.	11.0
2. Paul, LA Clippers	9.7
3. Vasquez, N.Orlean.	9.4
4. Holiday, Philadel.	8.9
5. Westbrook, Oklah..	8.2
6. Williams, Brooklyn	7.7
7. Nash, LA Lakers	7.7
8. Parker, San A.	7.6
9. Calderon, Toron.	7.4
10. Nelson, Orlando M.	7.2

Steals Per Game

Chris PAUL
  LA Clippers
  (183-PG-85)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Paul, LA Clippers	2.6
2. Conley, Memphis G.	2.3
3. Westbrook, Oklah..	2.0
4. Lin, Houston R.	2.0
5. Walker, Charlott.	1.9
6. Jennings, Milwauke.	1.9
7. Harden, Houston R.	1.9
8. George, Indiana P.	1.8
9. Leonard, San A.	1.8
10. Ellis, Milwaukee	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Larry SANDERS
  Milwauke.
  (211-F-88)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Sanders, Milwauke.	3.1
2. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.	2.9
3. Duncan, San A.	2.7
4. Hibbert, Indiana P.	2.6
5. Howard, LA Lakers	2.4
6. Smith, Atlanta H.	2.2
7. Lopez, Brooklyn N.	2.2
8. Noah, Chicago B.	2.1
9. McGee, Denver N.	2.0
10. Biyombo, Charlott.	1.8

The 76ers add Pargo to their roster - by Eurobasket News

Philadelphia 76ers added to their roster 27-year old point guard Jeremy Pargo (188-99kg-86, college: Gonzaga, agency: Priority Sports). He started the season at Cleveland Cavaliers. In 25 NBA games this season he recorded 7.8ppg, 1.3rpg and 2.6apg. The most of last season Pargo spent at the Grizzlies. In 42 NBA games last year he averaged 3.0ppg and 1.3apg. He also spent pre-season at Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv (Winner League) in Israeli league earlier that year.
Pargo has never been drafted by the NBA.
The list of the past achievements is quite long as he won Israeli Premier League championship title for two years in a row (2010 and 2011). Pargo was also voted Eurobasket.com Euroleague All-Imports Team in 2011.
He has played previously for Galil Gilboa.
Pargo attended Gonzaga University until 2009 and it will be his fourth season as a professional player.

By Eurobasket Data Center (via @nbatransactions)

Celtics and Nuggets claim home victories - by Eurobasket News

Denver N. - Chicago B. 128-96
Kenneth Faried (6'8''-F-89, college: Morehead St.) celebrated his invitation to the league's annual slam dunk contest with a series of rim-rattling, crowd-pleasing jams Thursday night when the Denver Nuggets extended their winning streak to eight games with a 128-96 win over the Chicago Bulls. Faried finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds in 26 minutes as the Nuggets won for the 15th time in 18 games since Jan. 1. Wilson Chandler (6'8''-F/G-87, college: De Paul) added 24 points in just 19 minutes as the Nuggets made quick work of a stingy Bulls team that came in yielding just 91 points a game but watched Denver pour in 100 by the time the third quarter was over. Javale McGee (7'0''-C-88, college: Nevada) put on his own slam-and-jam show, adding 10 points for the Nuggets, who haven't lost since Jan. 18 and led this one by as many as 35 points. The Nuggets' 128 points were the most allowed by the Bulls this season, surpassing the 120 that Houston had on Dec. 25-and marks the most an opponent scored during Tom Thibodeau's three years as the Bulls' coach. Carlos Boozer (6'10''-F/C-80, college: Duke) led Chicago's starters with 18 points. The Bulls were without starting guards Derrick Rose (left knee) and Kirk Hinrich (right elbow) again. Center Joakim Noah (right foot) returned to the lineup, but was held to just one bucket and five rebounds. Reserve Daequan Cook led the Bulls with 19 points. Faried learned before the game he had been selected to take part in the slam dunk competition during All-Star festivities in Houston on Feb. 16. "I mean, I'm ecstatic about it, happy to go out there and showcase what I can do and excite the fans," Faried said before going out and collecting 17 points and eight boards by the time the Nuggets went to the locker room with a 63-58 halftime lead. His biggest dunk in the first half came on the break when Ty Lawson's layup rimmed out and he timed it perfectly to throw down the follow-up for a 49-42 lead. But his best one came in the third quarter when Lawson stripped Noah and flipped the ball to Faried for the fast-break bucket that gave Denver an 80-64 cushion. Moments later, Faried tied up Noah on his way to the basket, part of a stellar defensive effort during a 28-6 spurt that allowed the Nuggets to coast to their seventh straight win at the Pepsi Center. Lawson finished with 16 points and 12 assists. Courtesy of: times-standard.com

Boston C. - LA Lakers 116-95
There was a 90-second stretch in the third quarter in which Jeff Green (6'9''-F-86, college: Georgetown) had a monster dunk, followed by a blocked shot moments later that led to a Paul Pierce (6'7''-F/G-77, college: Kansas) 3-pointer. Efficient offense. Effective Defense. Energetic Hustle. The Celtics delivered the kind of Beantown beatdown seldom seen when these two bitter rivals battle as Boston had no trouble in downing the Lakers, 116-95. Boston (26-23) has now won sixth in a row which ties their longest winning streak of the season. And with Thursday's win, it also snapped a three-game losing skid to Lakers (23-27). Pierce led all Celtics with 24 points while Kobe Bryant (6'6''-SG-78) led all scorers with 27 points. The first quarter was a relatively close one despite the Celtics being in early foul trouble. In fact, the Lakers were in the bonus just 2:22 into the game courtesy of Dwight Howard attracting lots of attention - and fouls by the Celtics big men. Among them was Kevin Garnett (6'11''-F/C-76), who left the floor just 2:08 into the game after picking up his second personal foul. But in the past, Garnett going to the bench meant a rough go of things for the Celtics. It hasn't been that way lately, with the C's getting good production from Jason Collins and Chris Wilcox off the bench. Collins did a decent job of protecting the basket along with chipping in two points. Wilcox did much of the same, along with grabbing a couple rebounds which helped the Celtics lead 27-23 after the first. Boston opened the second with an 8-2 run to take its first double digit lead of the night following a pair of free throws by Jeff Green. Green was just part of a Celtic second unit that once again delivered strong play at both ends of the floor. At the half, the C's bench had outscored the Lakers' backups 25-13 with Green (11 points) leading the way. Not too far behind was Jason Terry (six points) and Wilcox (six points, five rebounds). Green finished with 19 points off the bench while Terry and Wilcox had 15 and 8 points, respectively. As for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant was doing what Bryant does to most teams -- get buckets. A 27.6 points per game scorer this season, Bryant led all players with 14 at the half. During the Lakers' recent run of success, Bryant's scoring has been balanced with a unusually high number of assists. But on Thursday, Bryant finished with zero assists which certainly played a role in Boston taking a comfortable 58-44 lead into the half that was never in doubt afterwards. Courtesy of: csnne.com

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

NBLCANADA

NBLC Standings

NBL Canada Standings

1. London L.		24-4
2. Summerside S.		18-11
3. Oshawa P.		17-12
4. Halifax R.		15-15
5. St.John M.R.		15-15
6. Moncton M.		15-20
7. Windsor Exp.		12-16
8. Montreal J.		2-25

Regular Season: Round 27

Feb. 2: Montreal J. - Summerside S. 95-116
Feb. 7: Moncton M. - London L. 92-102
Feb. 6: Windsor Exp. - Oshawa P. 127-93
Feb. 8: Montreal J. - Halifax R.
Feb. 8: St.John M.R. - London L.

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

NCAA1

Top 25 - Men

TOP25 Standings

1. Indiana		7-1 (19-2)
2. Louisville		6-3 (18-4)
3. Kentucky		6-2 (15-6)
4. Ohio St.		7-3 (17-4)
5. Michigan		8-2 (20-2)
6. N.Carolina St.		4-5 (14-7)
7. Kansas		7-2 (19-3)
8. Duke		7-2 (19-2)
9. Syracuse		7-2 (19-3)
10. Florida		8-1 (18-3)
11. Arizona		8-2 (19-2)
12. N.Carolina		6-3 (16-6)
13. UCLA		7-3 (17-6)
14. Michigan St.		8-2 (19-3)
15. Creighton		7-3 (18-4)
16. Memphis		8-0 (19-3)
17. Missouri		5-4 (16-6)
18. Baylor		5-4 (14-8)
19. UNLV		4-4 (17-6)
20. San Diego St.		5-3 (16-4)
21. Wisconsin		5-3 (14-6)
22. Gonzaga		9-0 (22-2)
23. Notre Dame		6-3 (18-4)
24. Florida St.		5-4 (13-9)
25. Texas		2-7 (10-12)

Regular Season: Round 89

Feb. 7: Duke - N.Carolina St. 98-85
Feb. 7: Chattanooga - Citadel 89-76
Feb. 7: Georgia South - Appalachian St. 86-91 OT
Feb. 7: Northwestern St. - ORU 85-73
Feb. 7: Bryant - St.Francis, NY 84-77
Feb. 7: FIU - Florida Atlantic 84-65
Feb. 7: Austin Peay St. - Tennessee St. 82-88 OT
Feb. 7: Gonzaga - Pepperdine 82-56
Feb. 7: Idaho St. - S.Utah 79-81 OT
Feb. 7: Murray St. - Belmont 79-74
Feb. 7: N.Arizona - Portland St. 79-72
Feb. 7: Quinnipiac - Monmouth 79-63
Feb. 7: Virginia - Clemson 78-41
Feb. 7: Sacred Heart - Fair Dickinson 77-70
Feb. 7: N.Mexico St. - Idaho 76-74
Feb. 7: SE Missouri St. - SIU Edwardsville 76-67
Feb. 7: Cent.Conn.St. - LIU Brooklyn 75-81
Feb. 7: Texas Arlington - Texas St. 75-50
Feb. 7: Wisc.-Milwaukee - Detroit Mercy 74-82
Feb. 7: IPFW - S.Dakota St. 74-80
Feb. 7: Illinois - Indiana 74-72
Feb. 7: San Diego - BYU 74-68
Feb. 7: Louisiana Tech - UTSA 74-49
Feb. 7: Montana St. - N.Dakota 73-82
Feb. 7: Stetson - USC Upstate 73-66
Feb. 7: Montana - N.Colorado 73-63
Feb. 7: Middle Tenn.St. - Arkansas St. 73-60
Feb. 7: Davidson - W.Carolina 73-59
Feb. 7: Rider - Niagara 72-69
Feb. 7: Denver - Seattle 72-55
Feb. 7: SF Austin - Cent.Arkansas 72-36
Feb. 7: Texas A&M - Missouri 70-68
Feb. 7: CS Northridge - Cal-Irvine 70-61
Feb. 7: Portland - Loyola Mary 69-60
Feb. 7: Savannah St. - Hampton 68-71 OT
Feb. 7: Green Bay - Wright St. 68-70 OT
Feb. 7: W.Illinois - Nebraska-Omaha 68-50
Feb. 7: Mercer - Jacksonville 67-64 OT
Feb. 7: Cal Poly - SLO - Pacific 67-62
Feb. 7: Manhattan - Canisius 67-54
Feb. 7: Florida Gulf Coast - E.Tenn.St. 67-43
Feb. 7: Drexel - ODU 66-78
Feb. 7: Oakland - N.Dakota St. 66-63
Feb. 7: Tenn-Martin - E.Illinois 65-93
Feb. 7: Furman - NC-Greensboro 65-88
Feb. 7: Samford - Charleston 65-69
Feb. 7: S.Alabama - Troy 65-62
Feb. 7: Santa Clara - St.Mary''s, CA 63-84
Feb. 7: Texas A&M-CC - Lamar 63-67
Feb. 7: Sacramento St. - E.Washington 61-55
Feb. 7: Fairfield - St.Peter''s 61-44
Feb. 7: La-Monroe - UALR 60-70
Feb. 7: Youngstown St. - Loyola, IL 60-59
Feb. 7: Wofford - Elon 60-50
Feb. 7: N.Texas - W.Kentucky 59-70
Feb. 7: Sam Houston St. - McNeese St. 58-59 OT
Feb. 7: UCSB - Cal-Davis 56-64
Feb. 7: Virginia Tech - Maryland 55-60
Feb. 7: Hawaii - Long Beach St. 53-20
Feb. 7: Kennesaw St. - N.Florida 52-60
Feb. 7: Iona - Marist 104-105 OT
Feb. 7: USC - Washington St. 72-68
Feb. 7: Arizona St. - California 66-62
Feb. 7: UCLA - Washington 59-57
Feb. 7: Oregon - Colorado 47-48

Regular Season: Round 90

Feb. 8: Pennsylvania - Yale
Feb. 8: VMI - NC-Asheville
Feb. 8: Cornell - Harvard
Feb. 8: Columbia - Dartmouth
Feb. 8: Princeton - Brown
Feb. 8: Lipscomb - N.Kentucky
Feb. 8: Loyola, MD - Siena
Feb. 8: San Jose St. - Utah St.

Stats Leaders - NCAA1

Points Per Game

Allen CRABBE
  California
  (198-G-92)
  Avg: 19.3

1. Crabbe, California	19.3
2. Muhammad, UCLA	18.6
3. Motum, Washingt.	18.2
4. Wilcox, Washington	18.1
5. Carson, Arizona St.	18.0
6. Nelson, Oregon St.	17.0
7. Lyons, Arizona	15.4
8. Powell, Stanford	14.8
9. Adams, UCLA	14.7
10. Dinwiddie, Colora.	14.4

Rebounds Per Game

Andre ROBERSON
  Colorado
  (201-F-91)
  Avg: 11.7

1. Roberson, Colorado	11.7
2. Moreland, Oregon S.	10.7
3. N''Diaye, Washi.	9.7
4. Kazemi, Oregon	9.4
5. Huestis, Stanford	9.3
6. Anderson, UCLA	9.0
7. Felix, Arizona St.	7.9
8. Powell, Stanford	7.8
9. Simmons, Washi.	7.3
10. Loveridge, Utah	7.1

Assists Per Game

Ii Larry DREW
  UCLA
  (187-PG-90)
  Avg: 7.9

1. Drew, UCLA	7.9
2. Carson, Arizona St.	5.0
3. Fontan, USC	5.0
4. Cobbs, California	4.3
5. Gaddy, Washington	3.9
6. Artis, Oregon	3.8
7. Burton, Oregon St.	3.6
8. Anderson, UCLA	3.6
9. Singler, Oregon	3.1
10. Lyons, Arizona	3.0

Steals Per Game

Nick JOHNSON
  Arizona
  (190-PG-)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Johnson, Arizona	2.1
2. Kazemi, Oregon	2.0
3. Roberson, Colorado	2.0
4. Adams, UCLA	1.9
5. Anderson, UCLA	1.7
6. Artis, Oregon	1.7
7. Felix, Arizona St.	1.6
8. Gordon, Arizona St.	1.6
9. Martin, Utah	1.5
10. Randle, Stanford	1.4

Blocks Per Game

Jordan BACHYNSKI
  Arizona .
  (218-C-89)
  Avg: 4

1. Bachynski, Arizona	4.0
2. Moreland, Oregon S.	2.6
3. Dedmon, USC	2.1
4. Huestis, Stanford	2.0
5. Washburn, Utah	1.6
6. Oraby, USC	1.5
7. Roberson, Colorado	1.4
8. Kravish, California	1.4
9. N''Diaye, Washi.	1.3
10. Wear, UCLA	1.2

Grinz On Green: Battered Spartans Find A Way - by Eurobasket News

Had Michigan State coach Tom Izzo opened his postgame press conference with one of his standard no-holds-barred critiques of his team, he might have hurt someone's feelings.

However, since Izzo knows the bruised and battered Spartans can't afford another injury of any sort, he held back for maybe the first time ever.

"I'm speechless," Izzo said after No. 12 MSU managed to survive with a 61-50 decision against Minnesota in the Breslin Center Wednesday night.

It's not that the Spartans didn't do plenty to raise Izzo's ire despite their wounded condition, and he did eventually address each and every issue in measured doses.

Michigan State came out lackadaisically for the second straight game and scored only 18 first-half points to trail by two at intermission. The Spartans made only 24 percent of their field-goal attempts in the first 20 minutes and were well on their way to getting outrebounded by the unheard of margin of 38-28 for the game.

But the way MSU came back like Lazarus to defeat a team that was considered a legitimate Big Ten championship contender before sustaining a four-game losing streak was inexplicable to say the least.

Michigan State started the game with backup point guard Travis Trice in street clothes because the concussion symptoms he suffered in the first game of the season returned after he was hit in the fact in last week's win against Illinois.

Shooting guard Gary Harris started even though he's been dealing with back spasms that have him moving as gingerly as a 99-year-old man.

Things took a turn for the worse when forward Branden Dawson, who continues to work his way back into shape after undergoing off-season knee surgery, turned his right ankle, and center Adreian Payne was hit in the face so hard his nose wouldn't stop bleeding and was initially feared to be broken.

Then, with 1:17 remaining, things went from worse to potentially back-breaking when point guard Keith Appling had his right (shooting) arm yanked out of its shoulder socket during a physical encounter with a Golden Gopher. Appling was in serious distress as he was helped off the court, his arm dangling lifelessly at his side.
Amazingly, Dawson and Payne returned in time to help hold off Minnesota and Appling, with his shoulder back in place, came back in time to tell the coaches he was willing to play the final minute, but they declined his offer.

Somehow, Harris made 4-of-8 3-pointers and led all scorers with 15 points, Appling had 14 before he called it a night and Payne had 11 points and seven rebounds.

How has MSU limped its way to key victories that keep it within striking distance of league-leading Indiana when other teams might have packed it in on account of too much pain?

"I feel like we've been lucky," senior center and Derrick Nix (6'9''-C-90) said. "We won't be able to keep coming into games without a sense of urgency like we did to night."

It doesn't seem to matter that it would make sense for the Spartans to visit the emergency room before Saturday's game at Purdue.

"It's been tough, but we have to stay motivated and know that every guy is going to give it his all," Nix said.

Harris, who's also been dealing with injuries to both shoulders for most of the season and re-aggravated one against the Gophers, didn't even want to quantify his discomfort level.

"I don't know about percentages, I just know I felt good before this," said Harris. "I was getting good looks with a lot of good passes and Izzo says to always be ready to shoot. So when I was open, I just let the ball go."

Harris actually looked better when he was able to muster up a semblance of a runner's stride than he did while trying to walk, and he tries to override his pain mentally.

"I just have to keep toughing it out, so I did," Harris said.

Izzo agonized over his decision to keep Harris in the game for a total of 36 minutes.

"I just kept asking him, 'Can you go?' and thank God he was smart enough to say yes because I don't know what we would have done (without him) at that point," Izzo said. "That kid showed me some character and heart. That was a way-more heroic effort than it looked because he was dragging his whole body.

"That guy's got ice in his veins and is tougher than nails in his heart. I'm overdoing it, and normally I don't do that, but I think it was one of the guttier performances of my career."

For the record, Appling said he should be able to play against the Boilermakers, Payne's nose isn't broken and Izzo plans to tone things down in practice.

But the reason Michigan State won, Izzo said, is because they improbably didn't commit a turnover in the first half and ended up with a season-low five - another unheard of number for an Izzo team. While Izzo would love nothing more than to duplicate that performance against Purdue, he knows such hopes are unrealistic.

Furthermore, he's not about to let the Spartans use injuries as an alibi for coming out of the chute so slowly or not playing well. Nor will he lower expectations no matter how much reaching for the top hurts.

"I'm more on the frustration side because we had some effort-related things again," Izzo said. "I'm proud of the fact that in the last two second halves we responded but I'm disappointed that a good team should have to get to that point because you're going to run out of those situations if you don't take care of business earlier.

"Look, this is not going to be a great team until Branden Dawson plays with the energy he's capable of, until we get a little more healthy and we realize we've got to communicate and check better. If that happens, this team has a chance to be better than I thought; if it doesn't happen, this team will be worse than you think.

"And that's about as blunt as I can say it."

By the end of the press conference, at least no one could say Izzo wouldn't be back to normal in time for the trip to West Lafayette.
Courtesy of: http://www.msuspartans.com

Horned Frogs Stun No. 5 Kansas, 62-55 - by Eurobasket News

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - TCU made its first Big 12 victory a memorable one, and left the fifth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks with their first losing streak in more than seven years.

The Horned Frogs finally won in their new conference, leading throughout against the Big 12's most dominant team in a 62-55 victory Wednesday night. It was their first-ever win over a top-five team.

"It means a lot. Obviously we've had some tough years," Frogs senior forward Garlon Green (6'7''-F-91) said. "We've had a tough year right now, but this is a big win. We need to carry this momentum."

Green scored 20 points for the Horned Frogs, including five in a row after a late 17-4 spurt by Kansas (19-3, 7-2 Big 12).

Naadir Tharpe scored nine points in a two-minute span, with a 3-pointer and six consecutive free throws, before a dunk by Jeff Withey with 6:49 left got the Jayhawks within 44-40 - the closest they got since TCU scored the game's first eight points.

After Tharpe missed a 3-pointer on a break, Adrick McKinney (6'8''-F) slung a pass inside to Green for layup. Kansas guard Ben McLemore, the Big 12's top freshman scorer, missed an open 3-pointer before Green had a three-point play to stretch the lead back to 49-40 for TCU (10-12, 1-8).

"I said this from day one, we need to focus on what's in the locker room," said first-year coach Trent Johnson , whose team has already had three season-ending injuries. "You're never as bad as people say you are."

On this night, they were good enough to beat the team that has won or shared 12 of the league's 16 titles.

The Jayhawks, coming off a loss four days earlier against Oklahoma State, had played 264 games in a row since January 2006 without consecutive losses, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.

Against TCU, the Jayhawks looked nothing like the Big 12's best team.

"It was the worst team that Kansas ever put on the floor, since Dr. Naismith was there," coach Bill Self said. "I think he had some bad teams when he lost to Topeka YMCA and thinks like that in the first couple years. But for the first half, there hasn't been a team play worse than that offensively."

Kansas already had six turnovers and missed its first four shots before finally scoring 7:17 into the game, on Ben McLemore's bounce pass to Jamari Traylor for a layup that made it 8-2.

The Jayhawks didn't get closer before halftime, when they trailed 22-13. Even after scoring seven points in a row over a 2 1/2-minute span - one point more than they scored the rest of the half.

"We knew going in that we would have to play extremely well, offensively, defensively, extremely hard, and they were going to have to help us out," Johnson said. "When I said help us, obviously they missed a lot of shots they probably would make."

Kansas shot a season-low 30 percent from the field (18-of-61) and had its lowest-scoring game since also scoring 55 in an NCAA tournament loss to UCLA on March 24, 2007.

TCU kept the Jayhawks in the game making only 5-of-12 free throws in a nearly 2-minute span before Elijah Johnson's 3-pointer got Kansas within 56-50 with just under a minute left. Johnson added another one from long range with 34 seconds left but that wasn't enough.

Nate Butler Lind had 10 points for TCU. Connell Crossland had eight points and 15 rebounds.

McLemore led Kansas with 15 points, while Withey had 12 points and Tharpe 11.

There was a record sellout crowd of 7,412 fans in the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum, a large portion of them loud Jayhawks fans cheering on their team coming off the 85-80 loss Saturday that ended their nation's-best 18-game winning streak and a 33-game winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse.

But when this game ended, they were filing out of the arena while TCU students stormed the court to celebrate the Frogs' first-ever win over a Top 5 team in 21 tries.

Green's 3-pointer made it 20-6 before the only Kansas spurt of the first half that could have been more if not for missed free throws.

McLemore made two free throws, and after Green missed another shot from long range, Kevin Young made a layup before Withey blocked a shot. But the Jayhawks then went to the free throw line on three consecutive possessions - Young twice, and Travis Releford once - and made only one of two freebies each time while getting within 20-13.
Courtesy of: http://gofrogs.cstv.com

No. 7 Arizona Holds Off Stanford, 73-66 - by Eurobasket News

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Mark Lyons (6'1''-G-89) scored a season-high 25 points and led a key stretch in the second half, helping No. 7 Arizona hold off Stanford 73-66 Wednesday night on the 40th anniversary of the first game at the McKale Center.

Playing in front of color-coordinated home crowd, Arizona (20-2, 9-2 Pac-12) came out flat and needed most of the first half to catch the Cardinal. The Wildcats stayed close in a back-and-forth second half until Lyons took over, leading them to their seventh straight win over Stanford.

Solomon Hill added 23 points and Angelo Chol (6'9''-F-93) gave Arizona a lift with Grant Jerrett (6'10''-F) out, grabbing eight rebounds.

Stanford (14-9, 5-5) dominated Arizona early and kept up with the Wildcats before fading under Arizona's defensive pressure in the closing minutes.

Dwight Powell scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half and had 10 rebounds. Aaron Bright added 16 points for the Cardinal.

The McKale Center became one of college basketball's most difficult places to visit during its 40 years of existence, the rowdy fans and strong Arizona teams often overwhelming opponents.

The arena named after former athletic director J.K. "Pop" McKale has been home to some of the game's best players, from Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr to Jason Gardner and Derrick Williams, along with a Hall of Fame coach in Lute Olson.

The Wildcats won 67 of their first 70 games after McKale Center opened and kept going, posting a winning percentage of .832, including 10 undefeated home seasons.

Stanford, like so many other teams, hasn't had much luck in the building, losing 28 of 36 games.

The Cardinal's best shot at upsetting the Wildcats was to beat them from long range.

Arizona has struggled to defend the perimeter all season and is 11th in the Pac-12 in 3-point defense, allowing teams to shoot 35 percent.

After a mediocre start from beyond the arc, the Cardinal have found the range since conference started, leading the Pac-12 at 45 percent after hitting 14 3-pointers in a win over Oregon State their last game.

Bright was the man early against Arizona, hitting a pair of 3s as the Cardinal scored the game's first 10 points, then hit another, giving him 11 points - nearly three above his season average - in the first 8 minutes.

Then, no one could hit anything.

Stanford had a stretch of more than 8 minutes without a field goal, finishing the first half 8 of 27. The Cardinal led by one, though, because Arizona couldn't make anything, either.

The Wildcats needed four minutes to score their first points - five missed shots and a pair of turnovers - and kept missing until late in the half, when they closed with a 9-1 run.

The second half had more made shots, but not a lot of separation.

Powell took over for Stanford, scoring on a variety of jump hooks and drives. He also set up Chasson Randle for a 3-pointer and hit a couple of free throws to keep the Cardinal ahead.

Lyons was the man for the Wildcats despite an elbow to the throat that had him coughing and in pain for at least a minute on the bench.

The graduate senior gave Arizona its first lead at 38-37 and later set up Brandon Ashley for a dunk with a bounce pass in traffic. Lyons also scored on a breakaway off a steal and set up Angelo Chol for a layup with a tough pass through two defenders.

Lyons kept going. Powell didn't.

Lyons followed a missed jumper by Powell to set up Chol for a layup with another dish inside, then scored on backdoor cut to cap a 9-0 run that put the Wildcats up 58-54.

After Bright hit a 3-pointer, Lyons followed with one of his own and found Kevin Parrom in the corner for another that stretched the lead to 65-59 with 1:39 left.

Stanford finished 7 for 19 from 3-point range.
Courtesy of: http://www.arizonawildcats.com

Blackshear Leads No. 11 Louisville Past Rutgers, 68-48 - by Eurobasket News

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Sophomore forward Wayne Blackshear (6'5''-G-92) is giving No. 11 Louisville a lift off the bench and starting to get coach Rick Pitino excited.

Blackshear scored a career-high 19 points and hit a 3-pointer to ignite a 23-2 run early in the second half that carried the Cardinals (19-4, 7-3 Big East) to a 68-48 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday.

Blackshear hit 7 of 11 shots from the field, including three from long range in just 14 minutes.

"I think right now he has improved his shooting tremendously," Pitino said after the Cardinals beat Rutgers (12-9, 3-7) for the seventh straight time.

"The last hurdle for him was putting the ball on the deck and getting better with his handle so he can run picks and rolls. Once he gets that; (he's a) great defender, rebounder and really good pass and smart kid, once he gets that, look out. He is going to be a hell of a player."

Blackshear not only has improved the arc on his shot since coming to Louisville, he also had a chance over the past week to look at his game after spraining his right shoulder in practice. He watched tapes and saw he was settling for too many 3-pointers.

"When I came back to practice I was in a different mode," Blackshear said. "I started attacking and it carried over to both games.

Blackshear had nine points, four rebounds and two steals in a win over Marquette this past weekend, and he was even better against Rutgers, although he had a lot of help in the second half.

Russ Smith added 14 points and six rebounds and fellow guard Peyton Siva had nine points and seven assists as the Cardinals held Rutgers to a season-low point total.

It was the seventh time they have held an opponent under 50 points this season.

"We just put the pressure on those guys," Smith said. "We came out lax early, so the second half coming out of the locker room, we decided to turn up the energy a little bit."

Gorgui Deng added eight rebounds and six blocked shots as Louisville beat Rutgers for the 11th time in 12 meetings.

Eli Carter had 13 points and Myles Mack 12 to lead Rutgers (12-9, 3-7). The Scarlet Knights have lost five in a row and six of seven.

Louisville, which had lost three in a row before its current winning streak, blew the game open in the first eight-plus minutes of the second half, taking a 21-point lead.

"I think we have a long ways to go still," Siva said. "This is the Big East and you can go on a three-game losing streak whenever. We just got to continue to keep our heads straight and focus on the next game."

Wally Judge tied the game at 28 for the Scarlet Knights with a dunk on their first possession, and then it was all Louisville.

Blackshear, who twice scored 18 points this season, broke the tie with a 3-pointer and Siva quickly stretched the lead to six with another long-range shot.

Rutgers, which went 4:07 without a point, saw Blackshear add two free throws to push the lead to 36-28. Chane Behanan made it nine with a free throw and then Smith and Siva had steals in the backcourt to set up two free throws by Smith and a rebound follow by Dieng for a 41-28 advantage.

Austin Johnson ended the drought for Rutgers with an uncontested layup before Louisville scored the next 10 points. Siva started the run with a layup, Montrezl Harrell scored on an alley-oop dunk and Luke Hancock (6'6''-F-90) and Smith closed the run with 3-pointers for a 51-30 lead.

Rutgers coach Mike Rice wasn't sure what caused his team's slow start at the beginning of the second half.

"Louisville, that's who they are, they're a top 10 team in the country," Rice said. "I think they're a Final Four team, but as I looked at shot chart we missed four layups in the first four minutes and after Wally's missed dunk, we just (committed) turnovers. Our guards had a couple of sloppy, careless turnovers."

That was enough for Rutgers fans, who started to leave the arena with less than 12 minutes to play. Louisville led by as many as 25 in the closing minutes.

Blackshear scored seven straight points to help the Cardinals jump to a 12-4 lead and they eventually led 28-26 after a sloppy first half.

What was surprising was that the Cardinals led despite getting only seven points from Smith and Peyton on 2 of 7 shooting.

Carter kept Rutgers in the game, scoring 11 points on 4 of 9 shooting. The rest of the team made only five other baskets in the half.
Courtesy of: http://www.gocards.com

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

NORWAY

BLNO Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Jonathan JONES
  Tromso
  (196-F-88)
  Avg: 22.5

1. Jones, Tromso	22.5
2. Westerlund, Asker	22.1
3. Thompson, Baerum	22.0
4. Thomas, Gimle BBK	19.7
5. Timus, Ammerud	19.1
6. Silavs, Froya B.	18.8
7. Wallace, Tromso	18.7
8. Ble, Centrum	18.2
9. Gabrans, Froya B.	17.5
10. Stien, Asker Alie.	17.0

Rebounds Per Game

Jonathan JONES
  Tromso
  (196-F-88)
  Avg: 14.8

1. Jones, Tromso	14.8
2. Thomas, Gimle BBK	10.4
3. Thompson, Baerum	9.2
4. Berg, Asker Aliens	7.7
5. Mostafa, Froya B.	7.4
6. Timus, Ammerud	7.4
7. Lepovic, Centrum	6.8
8. Ble, Centrum	6.3
9. Wallace, Tromso	6.2
10. Ferranti, Baerum	6.1

Assists Per Game

Edmunds GABRANS
  Froya B.
  (190-G-79)
  Avg: 4.9

1. Gabrans, Froya B.	4.9
2. Stien, Asker Aliens	4.1
3. Issalhi, Tromso	4.1
4. Wallace, Tromso	3.8
5. Holm, Baerum B.	3.6
6. Thomas, Gimle BBK	3.5
7. Mahnin, Centrum	3.5
8. Timus, Ammerud	3.1
9. Mjos, Baerum B.	2.9
10. Mihaylov, Tromso	2.8

Steals Per Game

Hani ISSALHI
  Tromso
  (187-G-84)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Issalhi, Tromso	3.1
2. Timus, Ammerud	2.3
3. Silavs, Froya B.	2.0
4. Gabrans, Froya B.	2.0
5. Thompson, Baerum	1.8
6. Wallace, Tromso	1.7
7. Ble, Centrum	1.5
8. Thomas, Gimle BBK	1.4
9. Jones, Tromso	1.2
10. Amoikon, Asker Al.	1.2

Blocks Per Game

Delano THOMAS
  Gimle BBK
  (203-F-81)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Thomas, Gimle BBK	2.9
2. Thompson, Baerum	2.1
3. Jones, Tromso	0.9
4. Nyborg, Centrum	0.8
5. Bakken, Gimle BBK	0.6
6. Andreassen, Baerum	0.5
7. Austgulen, Centrum	0.4
8. Ferranti, Baerum B.	0.4
9. Mostafa, Froya B.	0.4
10. Hammer, Gimle BBK	0.4

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

PHILIPPINES

The 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup - A Preview - by Aris Ignacio

After nearly a month of respite, PBA fans will once more see the greatest show in town. That is the right, the second conference of the 2012-13 season, called the Commissioners Cup, will unfold starting February 8 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. The twinbill will feature a reinvigorated Petron Blaze Boosters going up against the souped-up Global Port Batang Pier in the first game at 5:15PM while the second game will see two teams who figured prominently in player movement during the break the Barako Bull Energy against the defending champions, San Mig Coffee Mixers at 7:30PM.

The Mixers are coming off a 4-2 loss in the hands of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the recent Philippine Cup. Tim Cone's wards would do everything to defend the title they won last season against the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in a gritty Finals that went to the limit.

Only two teams didnt make any personnel changes during the break the Painters and the Air21 Express. The rest have had a busy off-conference, highlighted by the trading of Meralco Bolts' marquee player, Solomon Mercado (181-PG-84, college: Biola, CA) as well as the likes of Japeth Aguilar (208-C-85, college: W.Kentucky), Rabeh Al-Hussaini (199-F/C-88), JC Intal (195-C-83), Jonas Villanueva (184-G-83), among others.

We will take a look at the ten teams and their respective imports and find out how far they will go this conference.

AIR 21 EXPRESS

Import: Michael Dunigan (208-C-89, agency: N.E.T., college: Oregon)
Roster Changes: None
AFC Finish: 8th place

Franz Pumaren can't help but feel good about his chances. The Express secured its best spot since he coached the team in the recent Philippine Cup, he has a rejuvenated Nino Canaleta (196-F-82) to handle the scoring chores, has one of the best point guards in the business in Mike Cortez (183-G-80, college: CS Los Angeles), and is looking forward to having import Michael Dunigan make a resounding impression.

The Express though, would still need a lot of help in the offensive front. They are weak at #2, which was why there was speculation that they wanted Ronjay Buenafe (188-G-83) from the Meralco Bolts. Dunigan will probably need to score at least 40 points per game to make them competitive but they will struggle a bit against the more elite squads.

Projected Placing: 8th

ALASKA ACES

Import: Robert Dozier (206-F-85, college: Memphis)
Roster Changes: In - Aldrech Ramos (198-C/F-88); Out - Marnel Baracael (193-F/G-85)
AFC Finish 4th place

The Alaska Aces were the surprise package of the Philippine Cup. Not given much of a chance with a relatively new roster and a young coach in Luigi Trillo, the Aces overachieved, anchored on the energy brought in by their rookie, Calvin Abueva (88). Can they sustain this in the Commissioner's Cup?

Only time will tell how Trillo would intend to use Ramos. Baracael was reported wanting to be traded because of lack of playing time. Alaska will miss his clutch outside shooting and his physical toughness. Ramos is still an unproven commodity in the pros but has a lot of upside, and that he is more than 6'7" tall should help his cause.

Can Dozier prove his worth and bring this team to an even better finish this time around? Will Abueva be as effective now that there are reinforcement giants in the middle? Alaska has the aces to go all the way but can they do it?

Projected Placing: 6th

BARAKO BULL ENERGY COFFEEMASTERS

Import: Evan Brock (204-F-84, college: Alabama)
Roster Changes: In - JC Intal, Jonas Villanueva (184-G-83), Allein Maliksi (191-F-87), Jojo Duncil (186-G-83); Out - Ronald Tubid (186-G-81), Lester Alvarez, Leo Najorda (191-F-82)
AFC Finish: 9th

There is every reason to be optimistic about Barako Bull's chances. They floundered in the Philippine Cup, but there seems to be a form of resurgence in spirit within the team with the entry of Rajko Toroman as Active Team Consultant. An exponent of conditioning, do not expect the team to fall asleep anytime during the game.

The lineup change is glaring but it also brought in youth and speed. With high flyers like Intal and Maliksi in, plus a stable backup PG in Villanueva, this team will be quite exciting to watch. How soon Toroman can institute changes in this team is key, especially since he still has several veterans in his fold. One things for sure, Barako will not look at another 9th place finish this time around.

Projected Placing: 7th

GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL

Import: Herbert Hill (208-F-84, college: Providence)
Roster Changes: In - Marnel Baracael; Out - Allein Maliksi
AFC Finish: 6th place

Under new coach Alfrancis Chua expect the Gin Kings to bring excitement every game as they go back to their old running way something akin to the Robert Sr Jaworski period of the 80's and 90's. Chua's forte has always been to run and gun, and with a lot of players willing to do that in the team, Ginebra will definitely bring the crowd to a frenzy once more.

One important element that Chua is bringing with him is how the players have embraced this system. Superstars Mark Caguioa (188-G-79, college: Glendale CC (AZ)), JayJay Helterbrand (183-PG-76, college: Kentucky St.) and LA Tenorio (177-PG-84) all prefer to use their speed as their main weapon. Defense will be suspect though as Chua has never been known to specialize in this area. There are rumors that Herbert Hill's tenure with the team may not last unless he makes an impressive impression. Regardless, Ginebra will always be a dangerous team and is the least preferred by opposing teams to go up against in a series.

Projected Placing: 5th

GLOBAL PORTMASTERS

Import: Justin Williams (206-F/C-84, college: Wyoming)
Roster Changes: In - Solomon Mercado, Japeth Aguilar, Kelly Nabong, Yousef Al-Jamal (193-F/C-83), JP Belencion; Out - Vic Manuel (193-F), Joshua Vanlandingham (193-F), Rey Guevarra (193-F-85), Rabeh Al-Hussaini
AFC Finish: 10th place

The first order of the day for Mikee Romero was to get his past coach, Junel Baculi to run the team. Then, making bold changes in his roster, the lineup was practically revamped with the entry of Mercado and Nabong from Meralco Bolts and Aguilar from TNT. This team indeed looks good in paper, especially with Willie Miller (180-PG-77) and Gary David (188-G/F-78) still around.

But can Baculi mesh these guys well? Potentially, they may possess the biggest offensive quartet in the league but sharing the ball would be a challenge. Chemistry is also suspect as Baculi would need more time get these guys to work together. Its also reported that Justin Williams (206-F/C-84, college: Wyoming) has yet to make an impression. Will we expect an import change?

Can Global get out of the cellar? They probably will, but do not expect much.

Projected Placing: 9th

MERALCO BOLTS

Import: Eric Dawson (206-F-84, college: Midwestern St.)
Roster Changes: In - Vic Manuel, Joshua Vanlandingham, Rey Guevarra; Out - Solomon Mercado, Kelly Nabong, JP Belencion, Yousef Al-Jamal
AFC Finish: 5th place

Coach Ryan Gregorio summarized the recent trade that saw his top scorer and passer Solomon Mercado being released to Global Port Batang Pier as part of their rebuilding for the future. Yet, fans are still at a loss as to how Meralco Bolts will do with no marquee guy in their present lineup. While they were able to get the first round pick of Global Port Batang Pier for 2015, that may be too long a time to wait for the fruits of this trade to bear.

Without Mercado, the offense would most likely come from Mark Cardona (180-G/F-81) and Ronjay Buenafe. They would probably benefit from the inspired play of import Eric Dawson, penciled to be one of the best reinforcements so far. But with a very thin local lineup, Gregorio would have nightmares trying to look for suitable combinations to help Dawson in the offensive end. And for Gregorio's sake, lets hope his import can carry this team far. History though would say otherwise. Unlike before, no matter how dominating an import can be, he can only take a team so far.

Projected Placing: 10th

PETRON BLAZE BOOSTERS

Import: Renaldo Balkman (201-F-84, college: S.Carolina)
Roster Changes: In - Ronald Tubid; Out - Alex Mallari, Jojo Duncil
AFC Finish: 7th place

A first place finish in a Cebu tournament last week augurs well for the Boosters. Reportedly, Balkman is the best import in the group despite the fact that hes also the smallest at 6'6". But this should not be a problem for Petron as they have the 6'10" June Mar Fajardo (196-C-89) manning the slot and Arwind Santos (193-F-81) helping out in the boards.

The entry of Ronald Tubid is by far their best accomplishment so far this season. They did not lose much in Mallari and Duncil, two players who were relegated at the far end of the bench last conference. In return, they got Tubid, a two-way player who brings so much hustle and energy in a team that is notorious for lacking these qualities. True enough, as a sign of things to come, Tubid got plenty of playing time in Cebu while doing the dirty spade work.

Will Petron finally reap the dividends of its manpower building for the past couple of years? With a potentially great import in Balkman, everything seems to augur well for them.

Projected Placing: 2nd (RUNNER-UP)

RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS

Import: Bruno Sundov (221-C-80, agency: Alti Sport)
Roster Changes: None
AFC Finish: 2nd place

When Yeng Guiao drafted Christopher Tiu (178-PG-85) last year and traded Ronjay Buenafe to Meralco Bolts, the fiery coach said that he was extremely satisfied with his local roster already. If there would be any change, it would be getting Joachim Thoss (201-C-81) from Alaska for their first round picks. Otherwise, he was perfectly fine.

He proved this by leading the Elasto Painters to its first Philippine Cup Finals appearance, falling short to Talk N Text Tropang Texters. Their one weak spot has always been their interior, which was why Thoss was being considered. True enough, to shore up that weak spot, Rain or Shine hired the services of the tallest import and player ever to suit up in the PBA the 7'2" Bruno Sundov. Guiao hopes Sundov can solve the Elasto Painter's perennial inside problems.

A team with Guiao coaching will always be competitive. This is no exception. But will they be able to replicate their Governor's Cup championship last season? It would be hard, especially since the other teams have secured the services of talented imports themselves. Another finals appearance would already be a tremendous accomplishment for this young team.

Projected Placing: 4th

SAN MIG COFFEE MIXERS

Import: Matthew Rogers (211-C-87, college: SW Baptist)
Roster Changes: In - Alex Mallari, Leo Najorda (191-F-82), Lester Alvarez; Out - Aldrech Ramos, JC Intal, Jonas Villanueva (184-G-83)
AFC Finish: 3rd place

The San Mig Coffee Mixers are a team that has a lot of pride. Tim Cone's presence adds further credence to that. For them, winning the Commissioner's Cup is passing through them first, being the defending champs. And they wont give up the fight easy.

Their off-conference player rigodon proves such. They lost three reserve players but Cone made sure that his nucleus will not be affected. Instead, he made his PG rotation taller with the 6'4" Mallari coming in. Najorda provides the physicality sorely missing from the Mixers especially when against Rain or Shine.

The question is their import Rogers. The good news is if he pans out, Bowles Denzel (208-F/C-89, college: JMU) is flying back to take over. And we all know what this fan favorite can do.

Projected Placing: 3rd

TALK N TEXT TROPANG TEXTERS

Import: Keith Benson (210-C-88, college: Oakland)
Roster Changes: In - Rabeh Al-Hussaini; Out - Japeth Aguilar
AFC Finish: 1st place

Anyone who will claim that Talk N Text Tropang Texters won't be the favorites to win the Commissioner's Cup may have been gone for a long time. TNT remains to be the only elite team in the PBA for more than 3 seasons now. Under Norman Black, they are expected to cement that legacy even further.

When everyone thought that TNT could not get any better, guess again. They traded recalcitrant forward Japeth Aguilar, someone they hardly missed in their recent AFC conquest, to Global Port Batang Pier for former Rookie of the Year Rabeh Al-Hussaini. Under his former collegiate coach, Al-Hussaini is expected to blossom and realize his true worth in the PBA. He may not contribute much this conference with the presence of their 6'11" import Keith Benson (210-C-88, college: Oakland), but he will be there to provide quality minutes, especially with Ali Peek (194-F-75, college: St.Mary's, CA) in the injury list.

The Tropang Texters will also be riding on the crest of their Philippine Cup championship momentum. The grandslam dream is still within reach, especially since the 3rd Conference has been moved after the FIBA-Asia tournament. But first, they need to nail the Commissioner's Cup which they failed to do last season courtesy of Bowles and the Coffee Mixers.

Projected Placing: 1st (CHAMPIONS)

Note: Credits goes to PEx_Sports at PinoyExchange.com

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

PUERTO RICO

Leones get Ivan Lopez - by Luis Modestti

Leones de Ponce added depth inside by signing center Ivan Lopez (208-C/F-85, college: Memphis).

He is expected to get good minutes behind Ike Diogu and Mike Harris. Lopez is known for being a defensive center.

Lopez has played nine seasons in BSN with career averages of 5.5 points and 4 rebounds.

Ponce has other key players like Carlos Rivera, Rick Apodaca, Mike Rosario, Chris Gaston, Carlos Emory, Eddin Santiago among other natives.

Mets presented their team to the media - by Luis Modestti

Mets de Guaynabo presented their players to the media in a press conference done at the Sports Museum.

Team owner Salvi Vilella said that his team will win with a strong native core which includes former national team players. He is expected to announce the new head coach soon.

Guaynabo has former national team players like Christian Dalmau and Larry Ayuso who were one of the most feared combos in the last decade when they played in San German. Also Antonio Latimer, Manuel Narvaez, Angel Alamo and Daniel Santiago have played with the Puerto Rican NT.

Their role players are Alvin Cruz, Carlos Rodriguez, Ray Barbosa, Gaby Belardo, Carlos Valdez and Ferdinand Morales Jr.

They play their first game on April 3 at Quebradillas and their home opener is on April 5 against Ponce.

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

QATAR

D1 Stats

Points Per Game

Chauncey LESLIE
  Qatar
  (183-G/F-81)
  Avg: 24.6

1. Leslie, Qatar	24.6
2. Ayeni, Al Wakrah	24.1
3. Jalloh, Al Arabi	22.8
4. Nwigwe, Al Shamal	20.6
5. Byrd, Al Arabi	19.3
6. Watson, Al Rayyan	17.9
7. Musa, Al Rayyan	16.6
8. Moliva, Qatar	16.4
9. N''Diaye, Al Gharafa	16.3
10. Mofunanya, Al Ar.	15.9

Rebounds Per Game

Oumar SECK
  Qatar
  (--)
  Avg: 15.7

1. Seck, Qatar	15.7
2. Mofunanya, Al Ar.	14.1
3. Byrd, Al Arabi	13.5
4. Ayeni, Al Wakrah	12.9
5. Moliva, Qatar	11.0
6. Sarr, Al Ahli	10.3
7. Southall, Al Sadd	10.2
8. Zaidan, Al Ahli	9.6
9. Adako, Al Gharafa	9.4
10. Jalloh, Al Arabi	8.2

Assists Per Game

Tyvon WILLIAMS
  Al Shamal
  (182-PG-87)
  Avg: 6.1

1. Williams, Al Shamal	6.1
2. Watson, Al Rayyan	5.9
3. De La Rosa, Al Sa.	5.5
4. Leslie, Qatar	5.3
5. Abilmoni, Al Jaysh	4.8
6. Jalloh, Al Arabi	4.6
7. Nwigwe, Al Shamal	4.2
8. El Hadary, Al Arabi	3.7
9. Mousa, Al Sadd	3.6
10. Zaidan, Al Ahli	3.6

Steals Per Game

Fadi Hani ABILMONI
  Al Jaysh
  (184-PG-)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Abilmoni, Al Jaysh	2.9
2. Saad, Al Sadd	2.8
3. Leslie, Qatar	2.6
4. Ayeni, Al Wakrah	2.5
5. Jalloh, Al Arabi	2.5
6. Musa, Al Rayyan	2.2
7. Mohammed, Al Ahli	2.1
8. N''Diaye, Al Gharafa	2.1
9. Moliva, Qatar	2.1
10. Williams, Al Sham.	2.1

Blocks Per Game

William BYRD
  Al Arabi
  (201-G/F-85)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Byrd, Al Arabi	3.6
2. Southall, Al Sadd	2.8
3. Sarr, Al Ahli	1.2
4. Seck, Qatar	1.2
5. Adako, Al Gharafa	1.0
6. Ayeni, Al Wakrah	0.9
7. Marone Ngom, Al Ja.	0.9
8. Moliva, Qatar	0.9
9. Ali Saeed, Al Ra.	0.8
10. Zaidan, Al Ahli	0.7

Al Sadd edge Al Arabi, Al Rayyan beat El Jaish, take 1-0 lead in QML semifinal duels - by Eurobasket News

Al Sadd out-steadied Al Arabi in the dying seconds to pull off a 74-70 hard-earned victory in the first game of their best-of-three semifinal showdown in the Qatar Mens League last night at the Al Gharafa Indoor Arena.

Al Arabi, behind the prolific duo of Abdulai Jalloh (188-G-86, college: JMU) and Alvin Mofunanya (203-F-87, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Fair Dickinson), drew first blood and grabbed the upper hand early in the game but Chris dela Rosa and Thomas Ibrahim helped Al Sadd peg a 17-all logjam with their rivals after 10 minutes of play.

With an up-tempo game at the onset of the second period and with Mofunanya running berserk inside the paint, the Heir Apparent champions unleashed a 9-3 spurt for 26-20 advantage midway in the period.

Jalloh anchored a 10-4 blast to give the redshirts a 12-point cushion at 34-22, with 1:40 before the halftime break but Mousa Daoud strung up a couple of baskets to spearhead a quick 12-3 counter-offensive that lifted Al Sadd back in the game at 34-37 after two quarters.

Daoud continued to wax hot in the third canto and combined with Saad Abdulrahman to get the Emir Cup in the drivers seat after a long while and stay on top at 57-55 going into the final stage of the match.

After five minutes of fierce battle and several lead changes, Al Sadd behind spitfire Chris dela Rosa went up to a 68-64 lead.

Earlier on, defending champions Al Rayyan moved a game away to clinching a finals berth as they trounced a beleaguered El Jaish, 69-62, in the first game of their own other best-of-three series.

Al Rayyan outplayed Army from the start, easily taking the upper hand, 25-16 in the first period, 45-30 at the half before settling down to a 60-39 advantage at the end of the third quarter after pulling away by as much as 24 points midway in the period.

El Jaish, playing sans ace playmaker and number one scorer Fadi Abilmona who had a fractured shooting hand, visibly struggled in the early stages of the match and barely got their game going only in the final canto.

Boney Harold Watson topscored with 19 points. Ace-gunner Targuy Ngombo contributed 16 points while Yaseen Mousa and Suleiman Braimoh each had 11 points.

Turki Ali carried the scoring for Army with 16 points. Steve Noubisse chipped in 16 points and hauled down 11 rebounds.

The semifinal duels resume tomorrow (Friday) at the Al Gharafa Indoor Arena with Al Sadd and Arabi taking centre-stage at 5:00 pm while Al Rayyan and El Jaish go against each other in the main game at 7:00 pm.
Courtesy of: www.qatarbasketball.qa

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

RUSSIA

Stats Leaders - Superleague B

Points Per Game

Chris MONROE
  Ural E.
  (191-G-81)
  Avg: 17.6

1. Monroe, Ural E.	17.6
2. Makshantsev, Novo.	16.8
3. Chernov, AltajBas.	16.5
4. Kuznetsov, Ruskon.	15.9
5. Pushkin, Sojuz Z.	15.9
6. Boyko, Volgograd	15.4
7. Loubeau, Planeta-.	14.9
8. McGhee, Ural E.	14.5
9. Morgunov, Dynamo	14.2
10. James, Planeta-.	13.8

Rebounds Per Game

Aleksandr SAVENKOV
  Univ.Sur.
  (205-F-82)
  Avg: 8.5

1. Savenkov, Univ.Sur.	8.5
2. Makshantsev, Novo.	8.2
3. Varlamov, AltajBas.	8.1
4. Vzdykhalkin, Ryaz.	7.7
5. Pavlov, Ataman	7.5
6. Zinchenko, Sever.	7.4
7. Podkolzin, Novosyb.	7.4
8. Pisarchuk, Sever.	7.3
9. Loubeau, Planeta-.	7.2
10. Novikov, Sojuz Z.	7.1

Assists Per Game

Anton GLAZUNOV
  Ural E.
  (182-PG-86)
  Avg: 5.9

1. Glazunov, Ural E.	5.9
2. Lekavicius, Univ.S.	5.3
3. Chernov, AltajBas.	4.8
4. Tokarev, Novosybi.	4.8
5. Amirkhanov, Ataman	4.6
6. Korchagin, Dynamo	4.1
7. Mateyunas, Avtodor	4.1
8. Aleksandrov, Ata.	4.1
9. Urazmanov, Dynamo	3.9
10. Filin, Avtodor	3.8

Steals Per Game

Artur URAZMANOV
  Dynamo M.
  (186-G-87)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Urazmanov, Dynamo	2.3
2. Mateyunas, Avtodor	2.0
3. Savenkov, Univ.Sur.	1.7
4. Zakamov, Novosybi.	1.6
5. Semerninov, Ruskon.	1.6
6. Zakharov, Spart.	1.6
7. Lekavicius, Univ.S.	1.6
8. Toropov, Avtodor	1.6
9. Lunev, AltajBasket	1.5
10. Bartunov, Ryazan	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Dmitriy PONOSOV
  AltajBas.
  (220-C-84)
  Avg: 1.4

1. Ponosov, AltajBas.	1.4
2. Rindin, Univ.Surgut	1.3
3. Gresev, Ruskon-M.	1.1
4. Kondrashin, Sever.	1.0
5. Polyakov, Ryazan	1.0
6. Tsvetkov, TE.	0.9
7. Varlamov, AltajBas.	0.9
8. Kurtsevich, Ataman	0.9
9. Klimenko, Avtodor	0.9
10. Sayapin, Novosybi.	0.8

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SERBIA

Marko Kolaric moves to Stade Nabeulien - by Tamara Ruzic

Serbian center Marko Kolaric (213-F/C-84, college: Chaminade) has signed a contract with Tunisian Club Stade Nabeulien for the rest of the season. In Dec'12, Kolaric left Turkish Club Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyesi (Turkey-TB2L) where he spent 2011/12 and first part of the season 2012. This season, Kolaric has played 9 games, averaged per game: 8.0 pts, 9.1 reb, 1.6 steals, 1bs and 1 as in just 22minutes. Previously Marko Kolaric (213-F/C-84, college: Chaminade) has spent 3 season in Turkey playing for Canakkale Bld, Tofas Bursa and Genc Banvitliler. He has played for KK Mogren Budva from Monetengro. 2008 Kolaric has graduated at Chaminade (NCAA2). He was All-Pac West 1st Team -07 and NCAA D2 Pre-Season All-America Honorable Mention (by Division II Bulletin).
He was nominated to Eurobasket.com All-Turkish TB2L Center of the Year -11, Eurobasket.com All-Turkish TB2L Bosman of the Year -11,Eurobasket.com All-Turkish TB2L 1st Team -11. His former club is Hemofarm Vrsac.

Important signing by Rogaska, center Dragoljub Kitanovic arrives - by Eurobasket News

Rogaska got important reinforcement for rest of the season. The Slovenian outfit inked a deal with Serbian big guy Dragoljub Kitanovic (203-C-85). The center started the season with Swedish team Stockholm Eagles averaging 13 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17 games. Last season he shined in Serbian Superleague with BKK Radnicki scoring 22 points against Crvena Zvezda, 19 vs Radnicki Kragujevac, 16 against Hemofarm and 14 vs Partizan Belgrade, while his team was the most pleasant surprise of the season. In the past Kitanovic spent several years with Vojvodina Novi Sad.

Defending champion easy to semifinal - by Igor Obradovic

BC Partizan MT:S Beograd easily coast against KK Sloboda Uzice 73:50 (23:13, 16:11, 21:11, 13:15) and reached the semi-finals where he will meet with a team of Mega Vizura.

BC Partizan MT:S Beograd Belgrade at the beginning of the match had a great series 20:3 and practically finished job in the first part of the first quarter of the game.

Top scorers

BC Partizan MT:S Beograd : Drew Gordon (205-F-90, college: N.Mexico) 11pts + 8rbd Leo Westermann (198-G-92, agency: Beo Basket) 11 pts + 1ast + 2rbd Marko Cakarevic (200-F/G-88, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) 6pts + 3rbd + 1ast
KK Sloboda Uzice Nemanja Arnautovic (193-G-90, agency: Beo Basket) 11pts Marko Ljubojevic (202-F/G-84) 9pts + 5rbd + 1ast Bogdan Obrenovic (206-F/C-90, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) 8pts + 3rbd + 3ast

Tomoraw is the second day of the 1/4 final round

Radnicki Kragujevac - Vujic Metalac Valjevo at 18:30
Crvena Zvezda DIVA Beograd - KK Vojvodina Novi Sad at 21:00

Mega Vizura struggled but won in 1/4 of Serbian Cup - by Igor Obradovic

In a very interesting game 1/4 finals of the National Cup of Serbia, Mega Vizura has claimed victory against KK Vrsac score 82:79 (16:12, 25:16, 5:20, 36:31) and became the first team to secure a semi-final spot.

Mega Vizura had the excellent start of the game, she kept everything under control until the end of the first half that went with an advantage of 13 points (41:28).
Team of Oliver Popovic (agency: Alti Sport ) had amazing comback, they even took the lead in the third quarter of the game but the positive result soon returned in Mega Vizura hands.
Nine seconds before the end, Jovan Novak (183-PG-94) hit a three and reduce the advantage of the Mega point advantage just 79:78.
After better free throw shooting in the end of the game, Mega secured her position in the semi-final of national Cup.

Best in Mega Vizura was : Boban Marjanovic (222-C-88, agency: Beo Basket) 11pts, 16rbd, Nemanja Krstic (198-SF-93) 13pts, 5/5 for 2pts, 3ast, Pavle Reljic (193-G-93) 11pts 2/2 for 3p, 3ast, Vasilije Micic (191-PG-94, agency: Beo Basket) 16pts, 7ast, 3rbd.
Best in Vrsac was : Vladimir Vuksanovic (206-F/C-78) 17 pts, 4ast, Nemanja Radovic (206-F/C-91, agency: Beo Basket) 29pts, 13/19 for 2p, 11rbd, 3ast

It should be noted that Novica Velickovic (205-F-86, agency: Beo Basket) after a bad injury recovers, and finally returned to the basketball court and contributed to the win for Mega Vizura with 5pts and 3 rebounds.

Second 1/4 final today starts at 21:00

Partizan mt:s - Sloboda

U16 Basketball tournament in Sakarya: Quarterfinal game Slovenia - Serbia 76:82 - by Zoran Popovic

Serbian U16 National team win quarterfinal match against Slovenia 76:82. Slovenian youth team better opened the match and made small advantage during the first quarter, but during the second quarter Serbian prospects started to play much more aggressive and took control of the match. After halftime coach Mijatovic players continued to play in good rhytm and with controlled result during the last two quarters win the match. The most efficient players in Serbian team was top scorer Milos Glisic (200-PF-98) with 26 points, 8 boards, Vojislav Stojanovic (196-G-97) adds 21 points and 5 boards, Stefan Peno (193-SG-97) 15 points, 7 boards and 9 assists. In Slovenian team the most efficient players was Blaz Mesicak with 23 scored points.

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SLOVENIA

Important signing by Rogaska, center Dragoljub Kitanovic arrives - by Eurobasket News

Rogaska got important reinforcement for rest of the season. The Slovenian outfit inked a deal with Serbian big guy Dragoljub Kitanovic (203-C-85). The center started the season with Swedish team Stockholm Eagles averaging 13 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17 games. Last season he shined in Serbian Superleague with BKK Radnicki scoring 22 points against Crvena Zvezda, 19 vs Radnicki Kragujevac, 16 against Hemofarm and 14 vs Partizan Belgrade, while his team was the most pleasant surprise of the season. In the past Kitanovic spent several years with Vojvodina Novi Sad.

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SOUTH KOREA

Standings

KBL Standings

1. SK Knights		30-7
2. Mobis Phoebus		27-11
3. ET Land		22-16
4. Anyang KGC		21-18
5. Goyang Orions		18-20
6. Sonic Boom KT		17-22
7. LG Sakers		16-22
8. Dongbu Promy		16-23
9. Samsung Th.		14-24
10. KCC Egis		8-30

Regular Season: Round 30

Feb. 5: Anyang KGC - Dongbu Promy 91-72
Feb. 6: Goyang Orions - LG Sakers 87-77
Feb. 7: ET Land - Anyang KGC 84-68
Feb. 6: KCC Egis - Sonic Boom KT 78-73
Feb. 7: Dongbu Promy - Samsung Th. 68-72
Feb. 8: LG Sakers - Anyang KGC
Feb. 8: Mobis Phoebus - SK Knights

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SPAIN

FC Barcelona and Caja Laboral enter Copa Del Rey semifinals - by Eurobasket News

FC Barcelona and Caja Laboral became the first semifinalists of Copa Del Rey.
FC Barcelona came up with an unforgettable dramatic clash versus their archrivals Real Madrid in the first quarterfinal tonight. Barca needed two overtimes before eking out an impressive 111:108 victory. Pete Mickeal (199-F-78, college: Cincinnati) came up with 26 points to pace the winners. FC Barcelona led by three at halftime 49:46. They stretched the gap to 4 points heading into the fourth frame. But Real denied the deficit and surged ahead in the final term. Tomic came up big late in regulation knotting things up at 77. Sergio Llull (192-SG-87) had a chance to win the game for Real but missed a three-pointer. Barcelona jumped to an 85:79 lead in the extra period. But the Madrid team came from behind to post an 89:87 lead. Real seemed on their way to the victory when Sergio Rodriguez and Jaycee Carroll made it 93:90 with seconds left. Erazem Lorbek got fouled and was put to the stripe. He drained first free throw and then missed the second one on purpose. Ante Tomic (217-C-87) grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and assisted Erazem Lorbek for a tying bucket 93:93. Barcelona jumped to the lead once again in the second overtime. This time they protected it well and Navarro made it 109:105 for the Catalan team. Sergio Llull hit a mad three-pointer to narrow the gap but Huertas sank two free throws to seal an incredible win for FC Barcelona Regal. Ante Tomic had 20 points, while Huertas added 13 points for the winners. Sergio Llull answered with 23 points for Real Madrid. Sergio Rodriguez had 18 points in defeat.
In the meantime hosting Caja Laboral had little problems against CAI Zaragoza 88:64. The visitors were up by one at halftme but Caja Laboral used a 19:0 run in the third term to surge ahead for good. Maciej Lampe (211-F/C-85) delivered 17 points, while Thomas Heurtel (188-G-89) added 16 points for the winning side. Pablo Aguilar (203-F/C-89) answered with game-high 23 points for CAI Zaragoza. Norel and Joseph Jones chipped in 10 points apiece in the losing case.

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SWITZERLAND

Standings - LNA

LNA Standings

1. Fribourg		15-2
2. Geneve Lions		13-4
3. SAV Vacallo		12-5
4. Monthey		10-7
5. Lugano Tigers		9-8
6. Neuchatel		9-8
7. Boncourt		6-11
8. Starwings		5-12
9. BBC Nyon		3-14
10. SAM Massagno		3-14

Regular Season: Round 17

Feb. 6: Starwings - Boncourt 86-64
Feb. 6: SAM Massagno - SAV Vacallo 81-86
Feb. 6: BBC Nyon - Geneve Lions 79-94
Feb. 6: Fribourg - Lugano Tigers 74-62
Feb. 6: Neuchatel - Monthey 73-71 OT

Regular Season: Round 18

Feb. 9: Lugano Tigers - Starwings
Feb. 9: SAV Vacallo - BBC Nyon
Feb. 9: Monthey - Fribourg
Feb. 9: Geneve Lions - Neuchatel
Feb. 9: Boncourt - SAM Massagno

Stats Leaders LNA

Points Per Game

Justin RUTTY
  BBC Nyon
  (200-F-89)
  Avg: 21.4

1. Rutty, BBC Nyon	21.4
2. Owens, BBC Nyon	20.0
3. Chapman, SAM M.	19.2
4. Mladjan, Lugano T.	18.9
5. O''Bannon, SAV V.	17.5
6. Kuburovic, SAV V.	17.5
7. Hodzic, Monthey	17.4
8. Ely, Boncourt	17.4
9. Dobbins, Starwings	16.9
10. Burrows, Starwings	16.8

Rebounds Per Game

Justin RUTTY
  BBC Nyon
  (200-F-89)
  Avg: 12.4

1. Rutty, BBC Nyon	12.4
2. Barber, Lugano T.	9.6
3. Burrows, Starwings	8.9
4. Chapman, SAM M.	8.5
5. Reid, Fribourg	7.9
6. Kakiouzis, SAV V.	7.7
7. Dobbins, Starwings	7.3
8. Dos Santos, Bonco.	7.3
9. Garrett, Fribourg	7.2
10. Dubas, Monthey	7.2

Assists Per Game

Jamelle BARRETT
  SAM M.
  (180-PG-88)
  Avg: 8.2

1. Barrett, SAM M.	8.2
2. Gibson, SAV Vacallo	7.0
3. Parker, Geneve L.	5.8
4. Jenkins, Starwings	5.5
5. Ewing, Lugano T.	5.1
6. Kojadinovic, Month.	4.7
7. Draughan, Fribourg	4.1
8. Neitzel, Monthey	3.7
9. Stimac, Geneve L.	3.6
10. Brown, Geneve L.	3.5

Steals Per Game

Jamelle BARRETT
  SAM M.
  (180-PG-88)
  Avg: 3

1. Barrett, SAM M.	3.0
2. Gibson, SAV Vacallo	2.9
3. James, Geneve L.	2.1
4. Ely, Boncourt	2.1
5. Jenkins, Starwings	2.1
6. Owens, BBC Nyon	2.0
7. Kakiouzis, SAV V.	2.0
8. Petkovic, SAV V.	2.0
9. Zivkovic, BBC Nyon	1.9
10. Freeman, SAM M.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Clint CHAPMAN
  SAM M.
  (208-F/C-89)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Chapman, SAM M.	2.9
2. Garrett, Fribourg	2.6
3. Matter, Starwings	1.6
4. Burrows, Starwings	1.5
5. Dobbins, Starwings	1.5
6. Toure, Geneve Lio.	1.4
7. Badji, Neuchatel	1.2
8. Barber, Lugano T.	1.0
9. Dubas, Monthey	0.8
10. Owens, BBC Nyon	0.8

LNA Round 17 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News

Neuchatel (9-8) outlasted Monthey (10-7) in overtime by two points 73-71 on Wednesday night. Thomas Coleman stepped up and scored 14 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Neuchatel have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Lugano Tigers. Monthey lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with seven games lost. Neuchatel will face league's second-placed Geneve Lions on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Monthey will play against the league's leader Fribourg.

The most impressive stats of the last round was 25 points by Larry O'Bannon of SAV Vacallo.

SAM Massagno - SAV Vacallo 81-86

Very expected game when 10th ranked SAM Massagno (3-14) was defeated at home by third ranked SAV Vacallo (12-5) 86-81 on Wednesday. The game without a history. SAV Vacallo led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 21-of-25 free shots (84.0 percent) during the game. SAV Vacallo forced 19 SAM Massagno turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Italian-Argentinian forward Fabricio Vay (206-86, agency: Interperformances) stepped up and scored 20 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and American power forward Hakeem Rollins (202-83, college: Washington, agency: Dream Team Management) chipped in 18 points and 10 rebounds. American point guard Jamelle Barrett (180-88) responded with 19 points, 7 assists and 5 steals and the other American import forward Tommy Freeman (195-88, college: Ohio, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management) scored 19 points and 5 steals. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. SAV Vacallo have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain third place with 12-5 record having just three points less than leader Fribourg. SAM Massagno at the other side stay at the bottom position with 14 games lost. SAV Vacallo will face BBC Nyon (#9) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. SAM Massagno will play against Boncourt.
Top scorers:
SAV Vacallo: L.O'Bannon 25+3reb+1ast, F.Vay 20+8reb+2ast, H.Rollins 18+10reb+2ast, R.Gibson 10+6reb+9ast, M.Petkovic 7+2reb+5ast, L.Waldesbuehl 3
SAM Massagno: T.Freeman 19+3reb+3ast, J.Barrett 19+4reb+7ast, C.Chapman 16+9reb, P.Campbell 11+4reb, R.Gruninger 8+1reb, D.Garruti 6+3reb+1ast

Fribourg - Lugano Tigers 74-62

Rather predictable result when first ranked Fribourg (15-2) defeated at home 5th ranked Lugano Tigers (9-8) 74-62 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Fribourg. Lugano Tigers was better in second period 15-10. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. American forward Arizona Reid (196-86, college: High Point) stepped up and scored 24 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import swingman Edwin Draughan (196-82, college: Yale) chipped in 17 points and 6 assists. American forward Richie Gordon (203-89, college: W.Carolina) responded with 12 points and 8 rebounds and the former international Dusan Mladjan (198-86, agency: Interperformances) scored 14 points. Fribourg have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 15-2 record. Defending champion Lugano Tigers keep the fifth position with eight games lost. Fribourg will face Monthey (#4) on the road in the next round. Lugano Tigers will play against Starwings in Basel.
Top scorers:
Fribourg: A.Reid 24+7reb+1ast, E.Draughan 17+2reb+6ast, R.Yates 13+5reb+6ast, J.Almanson 8+4reb, J.Kazadi 6+7reb+3ast, R.Kovac 4+1reb
Lugano Tigers: D.Mladjan 14+3reb+1ast, R.Gordon 12+8reb+1ast, K.Barber 10+7reb+1ast, B.Milisavljevic 9+2reb+2ast, M.Bavcevic 8+1ast, D.Fergerson 7+2reb+5ast

Neuchatel - Monthey 73-71 OT

Neuchatel (9-8) outlasted Monthey (10-7) in overtime by two points 73-71 on Wednesday night. The hosts trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 6-point lead at the halftime then Monthey managed to tie the game at the end of regular time. However that was Neuchatel who were better in overtime eventually winning that period 14-12. They also forced 22 Monthey turnovers. Monthey was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. American power forward Thomas Coleman (205-88, college: N.Carolina A&T) stepped up and scored 14 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and his fellow American import guard Quinton Day (185-84, college: UMKC, agency: Three Eye Sports) chipped in 18 points. Bosnian forward Adnan Hodzic (203-88, college: Lipscomb, agency: Pro One Sports) responded with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds and Canadian guard Hernst Laroche (185, college: N.Mexico St.) scored 15 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals. Neuchatel have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Lugano Tigers. Monthey lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with seven games lost. Neuchatel will face league's second-placed Geneve Lions on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Monthey will play against the league's leader Fribourg.
Top scorers:
Neuchatel: Q.Day 18+3reb+2ast, T.Coleman 14+8reb+2ast, J.Aw 12+4reb+1ast, S.Louissaint 9+1reb+2ast, D.Lang 7+8reb+2ast, P.Badji 6+4reb+3ast
Monthey: A.Hodzic 21+13reb, H.Laroche 15+6reb+8ast, J.Dubas 14+12reb, B.Djurasovic 9+4reb+1ast, B.Savoy 6+2reb+3ast, D.Holmes 4+3reb+3ast

BBC Nyon - Geneve Lions 79-94

Not a big story in a game when 9th ranked BBC Nyon (3-14) was defeated at home by second ranked Geneve Lions (13-4) 94-79 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Geneve Lions led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They shot 62.5 percent from the field and made 17-of-21 free shots (81.0 percent) during the game. Geneve Lions forced 20 BBC Nyon turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. BBC Nyon was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. American guard Kelvin Parker (183-82, college: NW Missouri St.) stepped up and scored 18 points and 5 assists for the winners and his fellow American import power forward Juwann James (198-87, college: JMU, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management) chipped in 17 points and 4 steals. Geneve Lions' coach Ivan Rudez used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American forward Justin Rutty (200-89, college: Quinnipiac) responded with 21 points and Serbian swingman Srdjan Zivkovic (200-86) scored 15 points and 5 rebounds. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Geneve Lions. They maintain second place with 13-4 record having just two points less than leader Fribourg. BBC Nyon lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the ninth position with 14 games lost. Geneve Lions will face Neuchatel (#6) at home in the next round. BBC Nyon will play against SAV Vacallo in Chiasso.
Top scorers:
Geneve Lions: K.Parker 18+2reb+5ast, J.James 17+4reb+2ast, B.Toure 16+4reb, V.Buscaglia 12+2reb+6ast, A.Stimac 12+4reb+4ast, M.Maruotto 6+5reb+1ast
BBC Nyon: J.Rutty 21+4reb+1ast, M.Owens 17+2reb+4ast, S.Zivkovic 15+5reb+3ast, K.Bradley 14+3reb+4ast, J.Volcy 10+4reb+3ast, L.Vallotton 2

Starwings - Boncourt 86-64

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Basel where eighth ranked Starwings (5-12) outscored 7th ranked Boncourt (6-11) 86-64 on Wednesday. Starwings maintains eighth place with 5-12 record. Boncourt lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the seventh position with 11 games lost. Starwings will face higher ranked Lugano Tigers (#5) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.

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TURKEY

Banvit and Galatasaray reach Cup Final Four - by Eurobasket News

Banvit and Galatasaray joined Besiktas and Fenerbahce in the Cup Final Four. They beat Hacettepe Uni and Anadolu Efes respectively to advance.
Banvit claimed a 77:63 victory over Hacettepe Uni. Vladimir Stimac (211-C-87, agency: Interperformances) came up with 11 points to pace well-balanced effort from the winners. Banvit built a 17:12 lead after ten minutes. They stretched the gap at 39:31 mark at halftime. Banvit went on a 19:10 run in the third term to boost the gap. Hacettepe trimmed the deficit in the fourth frame but never threatened the margin. Erkan Veyseloglu (200-F-83, agency: 1x1 Sports) chipped in 10 points, while Mejia added 9 points for the winners. Polat Kaya (197-G/F-86), Huseyin Besok (212-C-75) and Ricardo Marsh (207-F-81, college: ODU) had 12 points each for Hacettepe Uni.
Galatasaray held off Anadolu Efes 72:64 behind 18 points from Jamont Gordon (193-G/F-87, college: Mississippi St.). Anadolu Efes led comfortably by 5 points at halftime 36:31. But Galatasaray turned things around in the third term. They went on a 21:10 run to secure a 6-point advantage heading into the fourth frame 52:46. Galatasaray dropped 20 points in the final period and hung on to win the battle. Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: FIU) accounted for 14 points, while Macvan had 13 points and 9 rebounds for the winning side. Dusko Savanovic (204-PF-83, agency: Beo Basket) posted 19 points and 7 rebounds for Anadolu Efes.

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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Cuthbert Victor selected the top Virgin Islander playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

Here is the weekly review of the top performing U.S. Virgin Islands players, who play currently abroad.

Cuthbert Victor

#1. This week's number one is former international forward Cuthbert Victor (197-83, college: Murray St., currently plays in France). He led Le Mans to an overtime victory over the tenth-ranked Chorale de Roanne (8-10) 89-87 in the French ProA in Monday night's game. Victor was MVP of the game. He scored 23 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 30 minutes on the court. Le Mans Sarthe Basket (12-6) is placed third in the ProA. It's Victor's first season with the team. Victor has relatively good stats this year: 10.1ppg, 3.5rpg, 2.5apg, 2FGP: 64.7%(66-102), 3FGP: 25.9% and FT: 65.9% in the 18 games he played so far. He played for the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team two years ago.

Walter Hodge

#2. Second place goes to an international point guard Walter Hodge (183-86, college: Florida, currently plays in Poland). Hodge led Stelmet ZG to a victory over the tenth-ranked Kotwica (5-14) 81-74 in the Polish TBL last Sunday. He was the best player in that game. Hodge recorded 19 points, 6 assists and 4 steals. Stelmet Zielona Gora (14-5) is placed second in the TBL. It was his team's fifth consecutive victory in a row. There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical. Hodge is currently first on the list of top scorers and also on the list of best passers (third place). He has individually a very good season with high stats. Hodge averages: 20.5ppg, 2.4rpg, 5.6apg, 2.2spg, 2FGP: 52.1%, 3FGP: 34.0% and FT: 82.7%. He has a dual citizenship: U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican. Hodge is in the roster of the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team.

Gregory Washington

#3. The U.S. Virgin Islands player who performed third best last week abroad was an international power forward Gregory Washington (208-84, college: Hofstra, currently plays in Denmark). He contributed to an easy victory against one of league's weakest teams Aarhus BC (5-18) 86-67 in the Danish Ligaen in Wednesday night's game. Washington scored 12 points, grabbed 5 boards, handed out 4 passes and blocked 2 shots. Svendborg Rabbits (21-2) is placed first in the Ligaen. It was his team's sixth consecutive victory in a row. There are only four games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game is very crucial. Washington is currently fifth on the league's list of best rebounders and also on the list of best blockers (first place). He has very reliable stats this season: 14.5ppg, 8.0rpg, 1.5apg, 2.6bpg, 2FGP: 62.7%(143-228), 3FGP: 23.7% and FT: 58.8%. Washington is also a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands senior national team.

Ivan Aska

#4. Forward Ivan Aska (200-90, college: Murray St., currently plays in Belgium) contributed to a Leuven Bears' victory against the closely-ranked Liege Basket (6-9) 84-76 in the Belgian Ethias League last Thursday. He scored 14 points, had 4 rebounds and dished 5 assists in 32 minutes; quite an impressive performance considering it's only Aska's third season in pro basketball. Stella Artois Leuven Bears (5-9) is placed second from the bottom (#7) in the Ethias League. Aska is ranked fifth on the list of the best rebounders in the league with 6.4rpg. This year he also averages: 14.5ppg, 2.0apg and 1.4spg in the 14 games. Aska is another player who holds two passports: U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rican. He is also U.S. Virgin Islands national team player.

Frank Elegar

#5. Former international center Frank Elegar (208-86, college: Drexel, currently plays in VTB United League), who plays in Estonia could not help Kalev/Cramo (3-10) to beat Unics Kazan (9-4). Elegar recorded 6 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. The eighth-placed Kalev/Cramo was badly defeated 70-52 at home by the higher-ranked Unics Kazan (#4) in the group A of VTB United League. Elegar's overall stats this season are: 7.5ppg, 5.8rpg and 1.7spg. He used to play for the U.S. Virgin Islands national team three years ago.

Jerome Gumbs

   #6. Forward Jerome Gumbs (194-82, college: USF, currently plays in United Kingdom), who plays in the British BBL was not able to help Cheshire Phoenix (8-14) in their last game. Despite Gumbs' good performance Cheshire Phoenix lost 93-100 on the road to the higher-ranked (#4) Plymouth Raiders. He recorded 12 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in 28 minutes. Gumbs has very impressive stats this year: 16.2ppg, 6.4rpg, 2.7apg and 1.4spg in the 11 games. He is a former international player as he played for the U.S. Virgin Islands senior team two years ago.

The list of other players, who all have U.S. Virgin Islands passport but never been selected to any of U.S. Virgin Islands national teams:

   #1. Experienced Tim Duncan (211-F/C-76, college: Wake Forest, currently plays in NBA) contributed to a San Antonio Spurs' victory against the Washington Wizards (13-35) 96-86 in the NBA on Saturday night. He recorded 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in only 14 minutes. The San Antonio Spurs have a very solid 39-11 record this season. It was his team's 11th consecutive victory in a row. Duncan is one of the most experienced players in a team as it's his 16th year in Spurs' roster. Duncan has individually a very good season with high stats. He averages: 17.3ppg, 9.7rpg, 2.7apg and 2.7bpg in the 43 games he played so far. Duncan has a dual citizenship: U.S. Virgin Islands and American.

   #2. Antonin Galaya (196-G, currently plays college basketball in the States) managed to help N.Carolina Central to win against the Univ. of Maryland Eastern Shore (1-6) crushing them 82-54 in the NCAA last Monday. Galaya scored 5 points. The N.Carolina Central has a very good 8-0 conference record this season. So far his team won all eight games in the conference. This season Galaya has very high stats. He averages: 16.2ppg, 6.4rpg, 2.7apg and 1.4spg. Galaya is another player who holds two passports: U.S. Virgin Islands and French.

   #3. Rakeem Christmas (206-F/C-91, currently studies in the States) led Syracuse to an easy victory against the University of Notre Dame (6-3) 63-47 in the NCAA on Monday night. He scored 12 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and made 4 blocks in 36 minutes. The Syracuse University has a very good 7-2 conference record this season. Christmas has very impressive stats this year: 16.2ppg, 6.4rpg, 2.7apg and 1.4spg in the 11 games.

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UKRAINE

VENEZUELA

Standings - LPB

LPB Standings

1. Marinos		7-0
2. Cocodrilos		5-2
3. Panteras		4-3
4. Bucaneros		3-3
5. Trotamundos		3-3
6. Gigantes		2-2
7. Gaiteros		2-4
8. Toros		2-5
9. Guaros		2-5
10. Guaiqueries		1-4

Regular Season: Round 5

Feb. 6: Toros - Guaros 90-87
Feb. 6: Panteras - Cocodrilos 79-76
Feb. 4: Trotamundos - Toros 78-76
Feb. 5: Cocodrilos - Panteras 76-79
Feb. 5: Gaiteros - Bucaneros 75-83
Feb. 5: Marinos - Guaiqueries 100-72

Regular Season: Round 6

Feb. 7: Guaiqueries - Trotamundos
Feb. 7: Gigantes - Marinos
Feb. 8: Guaiqueries - Trotamundos
Feb. 8: Guaros - Gaiteros
Feb. 9: Guaros - Gaiteros
Feb. 9: Bucaneros - Toros
Feb. 9: Gigantes - Cocodrilos

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Women News

CIS Standings

CIS Standings

AUS
1. St.Mary's		16-0
2. Acadia		11-4
3. Dalhousie		9-7
4. St.Francis X.		8-7
5. Memorial		8-8
6. Cape Breton		4-11
7. UPEI		3-11
8. New Brunsw.		2-13
CanWest Pacific Division
1. UFV		15-3
2. UBC		15-4
3. TRU		13-5
4. Victoria		13-5
5. UNBC		6-12
6. TWU		5-13
7. UBC Okanagan		5-13
8. Mount Royal		5-13
CanWest Prairie Division
1. Calgary		15-3
2. Regina		15-3
3. Saskatchewan		11-7
4. Alberta		10-8
5. Lethbridge		10-8
6. Winnipeg		6-13
7. Manitoba		2-17
8. Brandon		0-18
QSSF
1. McGill		9-3
2. Concordia		8-4
3. UQAM		8-4
4. Laval		5-7
5. Bishop's		0-12
UOA East
1. Carleton		14-3
2. Ottawa		13-4
3. Toronto Univ.		9-6
4. Ryerson		6-10
5. Queen's		6-12
6. Laurentian		5-12
7. York		3-14
8. RMC		0-0
UOA West
1. Windsor		17-0
2. Brock		16-2
3. Western		10-8
4. McMaster		9-9
5. Laurier		9-9
6. Lakehead		7-10
7. Guelph		6-12
8. Waterloo		0-18

Regular Season: Round 29

Feb. 6: Laurier - Brock 74-79 OT
Feb. 3: St.Mary''s - New Brunsw. 73-63
Feb. 3: Memorial - Acadia 68-64
Feb. 6: McMaster - Guelph 68-59
Feb. 6: Dalhousie - St.Mary''s 63-88
Feb. 7: St.Francis X. - Acadia 63-75
Feb. 7: Laval - McGill 45-59
Feb. 6: Waterloo - Western 30-73

Regular Season: Round 30

Feb. 8: UPEI - New Brunsw.
Feb. 8: Lakehead - Windsor
Feb. 8: Ottawa - Toronto Univ.
Feb. 8: Carleton - Ryerson
Feb. 8: Laurentian - Queen''s
Feb. 8: Manitoba - Saskatchewan
Feb. 8: Brandon - Calgary
Feb. 8: Winnipeg - Alberta
Feb. 8: Mount Royal - Victoria
Feb. 8: Regina - Lethbridge
Feb. 8: UNBC - UBC
Feb. 8: TWU - UBC Okanagan
Feb. 8: UFV - TRU

CIS Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Justine COLLEY
  St.Mary''s
  (175-G-91)
  Avg: 28.9

1. Colley, St.Mary''s	28.9
2. Brown, Dalhousie	20.3
3. Polishchuk, Laure.	20.0
4. Vaughan, Western	19.3
5. Schuetze, TRU	18.9
6. Strom, TWU	18.9
7. Emmerson, Saskatc.	18.6
8. Moore, Acadia	18.6
9. Yeboah, Victoria	18.2
10. Clemencon, Windsor	17.8

Rebounds Per Game

Diane SCHUETZE
  TRU
  (191-C-)
  Avg: 12.4

1. Schuetze, TRU	12.4
2. Milligan, McMaster	11.2
3. Stephen, Ottawa	11.1
4. Nadeau, Laval	10.3
5. Sylla, McGill	9.8
6. Von Maltzahn, Dalh.	9.8
7. Read, Regina	9.6
8. Rosenkranz, Brock	9.6
9. Wierks, UFV	9.3
10. Emmerson, Saskat.	8.9

Assists Per Game

Cassandra GOODIS
  Victoria
  (170-G-)
  Avg: 6.3

1. Goodis, Victoria	6.3
2. Duxbury, TRU	5.8
3. Langlois, Windsor	5.5
4. Ring, Ottawa	4.5
5. Colley, St.Mary''s	4.4
6. Clarke, Regina	4.4
7. Nofuente, Ryerson	4.4
8. Luyken, UFV	4.4
9. Bonomo, McMaster	4.3
10. Olsen, Lethbridge	4.2

Steals Per Game

Justine COLLEY
  St.Mary''s
  (175-G-91)
  Avg: 4.2

1. Colley, St.Mary''s	4.2
2. Langlois, Windsor	3.3
3. Nofuente, Ryerson	3.2
4. Goodhoofd, Guelph	3.0
5. Duxbury, TRU	3.0
6. Jarrett, Calgary	3.0
7. Clarke, Regina	2.9
8. Polishchuk, Laure.	2.9
9. Van Koughnet., UN.	2.8
10. Cameron, Lethb.	2.7

Blocks Per Game

Marie-Pascale NADEAU
  Laval
  (188-C-89)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Nadeau, Laval	2.6
2. Duinker, Acadia	1.9
3. Clemencon, Windsor	1.8
4. Schuetze, TRU	1.8
5. Traer, Ottawa	1.6
6. Rosenkranz, Brock	1.6
7. Ellenor, Laurier	1.6
8. Cole, Calgary	1.6
9. Emmerson, Saskatc.	1.4
10. Strom, TWU	1.3

CIS Round 29 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News

Third-ranked Laurier (9-9) gave a tough game to second ranked Brock (16-2) in Waterloo on Wednesday. The visitors from Catharines managed to secure only five-point victory 79-74. However their fans expected easier game. Nicole Rosenkranz stepped up with a double-double by scoring 11 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks for the winners. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Brock maintains second place with 16-2 record having just -1 point less than leader UFV. Laurier at the other side dropped to the fourth position with nine games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 29: McGill won against Laval on the opponent's court 59-45. St.Francis X. unfortunately lost to Acadia in a home game 63-75. Western rolled over Waterloo on the road 73-30. McMaster defeated Guelph on its own court 68-59. St.Mary's smashed Dalhousie in Halifax, NS 88-63. St.Mary's won against New Brunsw. at home 73-63. Acadia unfortunately lost to Memorial on the opponent's court 64-68.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 34 points (!!!), 6 assists and 6 steals by Justine Colley of St.Mary''s.

Laval - McGill 45-59

Rather expected game in Quebec City where 4th placed Laval (5-7) was defeated by first ranked McGill (9-3) 59-45 on Thursday. Panamanian forward Anneth Him-Lazarenko (178) stepped up and scored 16 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and Guinean forward Mariam Sylla (186-93) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds. Forward Jannie Jacques (178-90) responded with 13 points and the former international center Marie-Pascale Nadeau (188-89) scored 6 points and 7 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. McGill maintains first place with 9-3 record. Laval at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
McGill: A.Him-Lazarenko 16+7reb+2ast, M.Sylla 16+8reb+1ast, D.Ros 10+1reb+6ast, F.Charest 6+3reb+2ast, G.Hebert 5+6reb, M.Bastrash 4+2reb
Laval: J.Jacques 13+2reb+1ast, J.Lavoie-Jalbert 7+1ast, G.Girard 7+6reb+1ast, E.Jobin 7+6reb+1ast, M.Nadeau 6+7reb+2ast, M.Ferland 5+1reb+2ast

St.Francis X. - Acadia 63-75

Rather predictable result in Antigonish where second ranked Acadia (11-4) defeated 4th placed St.Francis Xavier (8-7) 75-63 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Acadia. St.Francis Xavier was better in third quarter 22-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Acadia won last quarter 22-12. Acadia shot 21 for 29 from the free-throw line, while St.Francis Xavier only scored four points from the stripe. Acadia forced 22 St.Francis Xavier turnovers and had a 25-14 advantage in offensive rebounds. Guard Kristy Moore (170) stepped up and scored 23 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and guard Lindsay Harris (178) chipped in 21 points and 8 rebounds. Lia Pierre responded with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals and guard Vanessa Pickard (180-92) scored 13 points and 7 rebounds. St.Francis Xavier's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Acadia maintains second place with 11-4 record having seven points less than leader UFV. St.Francis Xavier at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Acadia: K.Moore 23+7reb+1ast, L.Harris 21+8reb+1ast, A.Duinker 15+9reb, R.Savage 9+5reb, R.Sibo 3+3reb, A.Deus 2+3reb
St.Francis X.: L.Pierre 17+9reb+5ast, V.Pickard 13+7reb+2ast, J.Moore 9, L.Lessard 6+5reb+1ast, A.Kiberd 6+1reb+1ast, K.Roper 6+9reb+2ast

Waterloo - Western 30-73

Not a big story in a game when bottom-ranked Waterloo (0-18) was rolled over at home by fourth ranked Western (10-8) 73-30 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Western led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Waterloo to just 4 points in first quarter and to 10 points in first half. Western held Waterloo to an opponent 17.2 percent shooting from the field compared to 42.0 percent accuracy of the winners. Western forced 31 Waterloo turnovers. Guard Jenny Vaughan (175-90, college: Denver) stepped up and scored 16 points and 4 assists for the winners and swingman Emma Nieuwenhuizen (170-92) chipped in 21 points (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field). Forward Gia Spiropoulos (188) responded with 8 points and 6 rebounds and forward Mackenzie Lougheed (180) scored 4 points and 8 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Western moved-up to third place, which they share with Alberta and Lethbridge. Waterloo at the other side still closes the standings with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Western: E.Nieuwenhuizen 21, J.Vaughan 16+2reb+4ast, A.Hancock 8+4reb+2ast, L.Dally 6+5reb+1ast, M.McLeod 5+4reb+1ast, M.Rondinelli 5+11reb+3ast
Waterloo: G.Spiropoulos 8+6reb, E.Persson 4+6reb, K.Kuntze 4+4reb+2ast, S.McIntyre 4+6reb+1ast, J.Rodrigues 4+4reb, M.Lougheed 4+8reb

McMaster - Guelph 68-59

Everything went according to plan in Hamilton where fifth ranked McMaster (9-9) beat 7th ranked Guelph (6-12) 68-59 on Wednesday. Guelph trailed by 14 points after 3 quarters before a 17-12 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 59-68 at the end of the game. McMaster forced 27 Guelph turnovers. American forward Hailey Milligan (190-89, college: Canisius) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 21 rebounds for the winners and guard Vanessa Bonomo (160) chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Forward Kayla Goodhoofd (180) responded with 16 points and 7 rebounds and guard Marlee Freeman (168) scored 9 points. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. McMaster moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Laurier. Guelph at the other side dropped to the fifth position with 12 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
McMaster: H.Milligan 23+21reb+1ast, D.Boiago 15+4reb+1ast, V.Bonomo 9+6reb+10ast, E.Burns 7+4reb+1ast, I.Ormond 6+8reb, S.Truelove 4+2ast
Guelph: K.Goodhoofd 16+7reb, A.Beatty 9+1reb+1ast, M.Freeman 9+2reb+3ast, E.Mc Fadden 7+3reb+3ast, D.Van Balkom 6+2reb, J.Tennant 6+3reb

Laurier - Brock 74-79 OT

Third-ranked Laurier (9-9) gave a tough game to second ranked Brock (16-2) in Waterloo on Wednesday. The visitors from Catharines managed to secure only five-point victory 79-74. However their fans expected easier game. The guests trailed by 9 points after three quarters before their 14-5 charge, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time and get a 5-point victory in overtime. Brock dominated on the defensive end, holding Laurier to just 5 points in fourth quarter. Forward Nicole Rosenkranz (185) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 11 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks for the winners and guard Andrea Polischuk (180) chipped in 15 points and 5 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Guard Amber Hillis (160) responded with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and forward Doreen Bonsu (168) scored 9 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Brock maintains second place with 16-2 record having just -1 point less than leader UFV. Laurier at the other side dropped to the fourth position with nine games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Brock: A.Polischuk 15+5reb+3ast, K.Santilli 14+3reb+2ast, N.Rosenkranz 11+17reb+1ast, S.Dejong 9+6reb+2ast, D.Howlett 9, A.McNeely 9+1reb+2ast
Laurier: W.Ellenor 11+5reb+1ast, A.Hillis 11+7reb+4ast, K.Schenck 11+1reb, L.Doyle 10+4reb+1ast, D.Bonsu 9+8reb+1ast, A.Luciani 8

Dalhousie - St.Mary''s 63-88

There was no surprise in Halifax where 3rd placed Dalhousie (9-7) was outplayed by leader Huskies (16-0) 88-63 on Wednesday. Huskies have an impressive series of sixteen victories in a row. They maintain first place with 16-0 record. Loser Dalhousie keeps the third position with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

St.Mary''s - New Brunsw. 73-63

No shocking result in a game in Halifax, NS where leader Huskies (16-0) won against 8th ranked UNB (2-13) 73-63 on Sunday. Huskies have an impressive series of sixteen victories in a row. They maintain first place with 16-0 record. UNB lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the eighth position with 13 games lost. Huskies will have a break next round. UNB will play on the road against UPEI (#7) in Charlottetown and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
St.Mary''s: J.Colley 26+6reb+3ast, L.Langille 17+7reb, L.Panchan 9+4ast, N.Fequiere 7+1reb+2ast, A.Carvery 6+6reb+3ast, S.Martin 6+3reb
New Brunsw.: C.Colborne 16+4reb+2ast, C.Collette 12+3reb+1ast, R.Cleary 11+6reb, C.Daly 5+2reb+2ast, L.Fox 4+1reb+3ast, S.Kaminsky 4+10reb+1ast

Memorial - Acadia 68-64

There was a minor upset in St. John's where second-ranked Acadia (11-4) was defeated by fifth ranked Memorial (8-8) 68-64 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 9 points after three quarters before their 21-8 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Strangely Acadia outrebounded Memorial 43-31 including 33 on the defensive glass. Forward Ally Forsey (191-90) stepped up and scored 21 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and forward Grace Fishbein (180-90) chipped in 22 points. Memorial's coach Doug Partridge used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Guard Kristy Moore (170) responded with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and forward Abbey Duinker (188-91) scored 8 points and 11 rebounds. Memorial have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 8-8 record. Loser Acadia keeps the second position with four games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Memorial: G.Fishbein 22+3reb+3ast, A.Forsey 21+9reb+1ast, K.Devison 12+5reb+6ast, E.Jameson 4+3reb+3ast, S.Amoah 4+6reb, M.Robinson 3+1reb+3ast
Acadia: K.Moore 20+10reb+5ast, R.Savage 11+2reb+1ast, L.Harris 9+5reb+2ast, A.Duinker 8+11reb+1ast, C.Macdonald 6+1reb+5ast, C.Chiekwe 6+9reb+1ast

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CHINA

Asia-Basket.com All-Chinese WCBA Awards 2013 - by Eurobasket Center

All-Chinese WCBA 1st Team 2012-2013

Moore

Miao

Catchings

Young

Cambage

Player of the Year: Moore Maya (183-SG-89) of Shanxi
Guard of the Year: Moore Maya (183-SG-89) of Shanxi
Forward of the Year: Catchings Tamika (186-SF-79) of Guangdong
Center of the Year: Cambage Elizabeth (203-C-91) of Zhejiang
Domestic Player of the Year: Miao LiJie (178-PG-81) of Shenyang
Import of the Year: Moore Maya (183-SG-89) of Shanxi
Defensive Player of the Year: Moore Maya (183-SG-89) of Shanxi
Coach of the Year: Mondelo Lucas of Shanxi

1st Team
PG: Miao LiJie (178-81) of Shenyang
SG: Moore Maya (183-89) of Shanxi
SF: Catchings Tamika (186-79) of Guangdong
F: Young Sophia (186-83) of Beijing
C: Cambage Elizabeth (203-91) of Zhejiang

2nd Team
PG: Shi Xiufeng (178-87) of Shanghai
G/F: Bian Lan (185-86) of Zhejiang
F/G: Little Camille (188-85) of Shanghai
F/C: Appel Jayne (193-88) of Henan
C: Leuchanka Yelena (196-83) of Liaoning

Honorable Mention
Ji YanYan (182-G-85) of Heilongjiang
Liu JiaCen (193-C-89) of Heilongjiang
Zhang Yu (184-F-86) of Shanxi
Chen Xiaoli (193-F-82) of Liaoning
Liu Dan (194-C-87) of Shenyang
Zhang Fan (188-F-84) of Beijing
Young Sophia (186-F-83) of Beijing
Chen Xiaojia (177-PG-88) of Jiangsu
Thomas Krystal (195-C-89) of Jiangsu
Wei Wei (206-C-89) of Guangdong
Taylor Lindsay (203-C-81) of Yunnan
Chen Nan (197-C-83) of Bayi

All-Domestic Players Team
PG: Miao LiJie (178-81) of Shenyang
G: Ji YanYan (182-85) of Heilongjiang
G/F: Bian Lan (185-86) of Zhejiang
F: Chen Xiaoli (193-82) of Liaoning
C: Chen Nan (197-83) of Bayi

All-Imports Team
SG: Moore Maya (183-89) of Shanxi
SF: Catchings Tamika (186-79) of Guangdong
F/C: Appel Jayne (193-88) of Henan
F: Young Sophia (186-83) of Beijing
C: Cambage Elizabeth (203-91) of Zhejiang

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EUROCUP

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Jolene ANDERSON
  Antakya
  (175-SG-86)
  Avg: 23

1. Anderson, Antakya	23.0
2. Zellous, Mersin	20.0
3. Maltsi, Kayseri	19.6
4. Paris, Botas	19.3
5. Johnson, Chevakata	18.0
6. Langhorne, Dynamo	18.0
7. Dabovic, TED Anka.	17.5
8. Dabovic, Partizan	17.0
9. Dotson, VS Praha	16.5
10. Papova, Olimpia	15.9

Rebounds Per Game

Erlana LARKINS
  Mersin
  (185-F-86)
  Avg: 16

1. Larkins, Mersin	16.0
2. Paris, Botas	13.2
3. Johnson, Chevakata	13.0
4. Malone, SISU	12.0
5. Alyoshkina, Olimpia	11.5
6. Sissoko, Belfius	10.8
7. Khomenchuk, Goriz.	10.3
8. Cannon, Wasserburg	10.0
9. Robinson, Tarbes	9.9
10. Alikina, Gorizont	9.7

Assists Per Game

Temeka JOHNSON
  Dynamo K.
  (160-PG-82)
  Avg: 6

1. Johnson, Dynamo K.	6.0
2. Toliver, Dynamo M.	4.9
3. Aubert, Nantes	4.7
4. Blands, SISU	4.5
5. Bartakova, VS Pra.	4.4
6. Anderson, Antakya	4.2
7. Mincikova, MBK R.	4.1
8. Dabovic, Partizan	4.0
9. Tarasava, VS Praha	4.0
10. Turner, Dy.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Nadzeya DROZD
  Olimpia
  (174-G-83)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Drozd, Olimpia	2.9
2. Maltsi, Kayseri	2.7
3. Butulija, Partizan	2.5
4. Michel, Nantes	2.5
5. Robert, Lattes M.	2.5
6. Prince, Dynamo K.	2.4
7. Vesela, Antakya	2.3
8. Turner, Dy.	2.3
9. Cernakova, MBK R.	2.3
10. Cherepanova, Dyn.	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Aleksandra KHOMENCHUK
  Goriz.
  (202-C-89)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Khomenchuk, Goriz.	2.7
2. Alyoshkina, Olimpia	2.6
3. Lisina, Dynamo K.	2.5
4. Popovic, Spartak N.	2.0
5. Myasoedova, Dynam.	1.6
6. Vidmer, Dynamo M.	1.4
7. Reisingerova, VS P.	1.3
8. Alikina, Gorizont	1.2
9. Vesela, Antakya	1.0
10. Larkins, Mersin	1.0

Semifinal stage. Dynamo Moscow and Kayseri post wins in openers - by Eurobasket News

MBK Ruzomb. - Kayseri 60-79
Kayseri have one foot in the EuroCup Final after they stunned MBK Ruzomberok on the road tonight. The Turkish team will carry a massive 19-point lead into the home game of the return leg of the semifinal series. LaToya Sanders (191-PF-86, college: N.Carolina) came up with 22 points and 9 rebounds to pace Kayseri to the road win. The Turkish team started the game strong. They accumulated a 21:17 lead after ten minutes. Kayseri stretched the lead in the second quarter. The visitors accounted for a 39:32 halftime advantage. The gap kept on growing throughout the third term. Kayseri ensured a comfortable 16-point advantage before the fourth quarter 59:43. MBK Ruzomberok could not recover in the final period as Kayseri raced to a comprehensive victory. Zoi Dimitrakou (188-F-87, agency: Josep and Nicolas) provided 14 points, while Evanthia Maltsi and Nicky Anosike added 13 points each for the winning side. Katarina Tetemondova (188-F-88) answered with 14 points for MBK Ruzomberok. Nadia Parker had 11 points in defeat.

Dynamo M. - Chevakata 82-73
Dynamo Moscow edged closer to the EuroCup Final. They held off visiting Chevakata by 9 points to stay hopeful before the return leg of the semifinal series. Nadezhda Grishaeva (195-C-89) knocked down 20 points to pace the Moscow team. Chevakata silenced the home fans with a 24:21 run in the opening quarter. But Dynamo opened the second frame on a 14:2 run to take a 35:26 lead. The hosts rallied to a 47:39 halftime advantage. Dynamo kept the Vologda team at distance throughout the third term. The home team arrived at the final intermission up by 13 points 69:56. Abrosimova and Nadezhda Grishaeva stretched the lead to 17 points early in the fourth quarter. But Chevakata refused to surrender. The visitors went on a 15:5 run to narrow the gap at 7-point mark 73:80. Abrosimova capped the scoring with two free throws to give the hosts a 9-point victory. Crystal Langhorne (188-F/C-86, college: Maryland) provided 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Irina Sokolovskaya contributed 13 points in the winning case. Glory Johnson (190-F-90, college: Tennessee) answered with 24 points and 18 rebounds for Chevakata. Jasmine Thomas had 14 points in the loss.

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EUROLEAGUE

Anastasiya Veremeenko claims Euroleague weekly honour - by Eurobasket News

Belarusian Anastasiya Veremeenko (194-C-87) had a great game in the last round for league's second-best Fenerbahce and that's her to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 14.
The 25-year old center had a double-double of 20 points and ten rebounds, while her team beat Familia Schio (#4, 7-5) 82-68. Fenerbahce maintains the 2nd position in Euroleague group B. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Fenerbahce will need more victories to improve their 9-3 record. In the team's last game Veremeenko had a remarkable 70.0% from 2-point range. It was one of impressive evenings for her as usually she does not deliver so high stats. Anastasiya Veremeenko averages this season 10.9ppg and 6.5rpg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 25-year old American guard DeWanna Bonner (193-G-87, agency: Josep and Nicolas) of Nadezhda O.. Bonner impressed basketball fans with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Of course she lead Nadezhda O. to another comfortable win 89-71 over the lower-ranked Arras (#7, 2-10) being unquestionably team leader. This victory allowed Nadezhda O. to move up to 3rd position in group B. Her team's 8-4 record is not bad at all. Bonner is a newcomer at Nadezhda O. and it seems she did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was American Plenette Pierson (188-PF-81) of top-ranked Good Angels. Pierson scored 17 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Despite Pierson's great performance Good Angels lost 64-72 to the lower-ranked Targoviste (#5, 4-8). But her team cannot count on just a single player as she also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing Good Angels needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams in group B. Their record is 9 victories and 3 lost games. Pierson has a very solid season. In 12 games in Euroleague she scored 15.5ppg. She also has 5.3rpg and FGP: 51.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Emmeline Ndongue (192-C-83) of Bourges - 14 points and 8 rebounds
5. Angel McCoughtry (187-SF-86) of Fenerbahce - 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Kristen Sharp (175-PG-81) of Mondeville - 20 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Diana Taurasi (183-SG-82) of UMMC - 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Mirna Mazic (188-F-85) of Novi Zagreb - 18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Delisha Milton-Jones (186-PF-74) of Tarsus Bld - 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Latoya Williams (190-C-87) of Novi Zagreb - 17 points and 10 rebounds

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

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FINLAND

Standings - Women

SM-sarja Standings

1. Catz		20-2
2. PeKa		18-4
3. Honka		14-8
4. FoA		14-8
5. ToPo		13-9
6. HoNsU		13-9
7. Huima		11-11
8. Kerava		6-15
9. TuRi		6-16
10. BC Nokia		3-19
11. HyPo		2-19

Regular Season: Round 27

Feb. 2: HoNsU - Kerava 87-67
Feb. 7: Honka - ToPo 79-73
Feb. 2: TuRi - Catz 60-96
Feb. 2: FoA - Huima 55-61
Feb. 2: PeKa - BC Nokia 100-59

Regular Season: Round 28

Feb. 16: ToPo - TuRi
Feb. 16: Catz - FoA
Feb. 16: BC Nokia - Honka
Feb. 16: Kerava - PeKa
Feb. 16: Huima - HyPo

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Melissa JELTEMA
  Honka
  (175-G-88)
  Avg: 27.1

1. Jeltema, Honka	27.1
2. Laaksonen, ToPo	21.6
3. Murphree, Honka	20.0
4. Campbell, PeKa	19.2
5. Taylor, TuRi	19.0
6. Marchbanks, Kerava	18.1
7. Salomaa, FoA	17.9
8. Jones, Catz	17.7
9. Holliday, Huima	17.1
10. Adzasu, Kerava	17.1

Rebounds Per Game

Niina LAAKSONEN
  ToPo
  (185-F/C-85)
  Avg: 14.7

1. Laaksonen, ToPo	14.7
2. Marchbanks, Kerava	13.0
3. Robinson, Huima	12.5
4. Campbell, PeKa	11.7
5. Taylor, TuRi	11.4
6. Black, Huima	11.2
7. Sten, HoNsU	11.0
8. McKenzie, PeKa	10.5
9. Ray, FoA	10.5
10. Reshetko, Catz	10.0

Assists Per Game

Vilma KESANEN
  ToPo
  (179-G-88)
  Avg: 5.7

1. Kesanen, ToPo	5.7
2. Miles, FoA	5.6
3. Adzasu, Kerava	4.2
4. Jones, Catz	3.8
5. Piipari, PeKa	3.8
6. Murphree, Honka	3.7
7. Davis, HoNsU	3.1
8. Menna, BC Nokia	3.0
9. Hedderson, TuRi	2.9
10. Jackson, HoNsU	2.9

Steals Per Game

Rosetta ADZASU
  Kerava
  (165-G-90)
  Avg: 4.7

1. Adzasu, Kerava	4.7
2. Murphree, Honka	3.8
3. Miles, FoA	3.0
4. Jackson, HoNsU	3.0
5. Hyvarinen, BC Nokia	2.9
6. McKenzie, PeKa	2.8
7. Marchbanks, Kerava	2.8
8. Anderson, Catz	2.7
9. Jeltema, Honka	2.7
10. Jones, Catz	2.5

Blocks Per Game

Minna STEN
  HoNsU
  (189-F-87)
  Avg: 3.8

1. Sten, HoNsU	3.8
2. Black, Huima	1.8
3. Anderson, Catz	1.7
4. Ray, FoA	1.4
5. Campbell, PeKa	1.3
6. Reshetko, Catz	1.2
7. Murphree, Honka	1.1
8. Jeltema, Honka	1.1
9. Saarinen, FoA	1.0
10. Holliday, Huima	1.0

SM-sarja Round 27: Forssan Alku is defeated by Aanekosken - by Eurobasket News

The game between third ranked Forssan Alku (14-8) and seventh ranked Aanekosken (11-11) was the most important one in the last round on Saturday night. Forssan Alku was defeated by Aanekosken in a tough game in Forssa 55-61. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Forssan Alku. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 16-7 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Aanekosken dominated on the defensive end, holding Forssan Alku to just 7 points in third quarter. They also forced 19 Forssan Alku turnovers. Americans were the main players on the court. It was a great evening for swingman Jasmin Holliday (182-90, college: Oregon) who led her team to a victory scoring 25 points and 6 rebounds. Center Kenya Robinson (182-70, college: New Orleans) helped adding 14 points and 10 rebounds. The best for the losing side was forward Secily Ray (180-90, college: Wake Forest) with 6 points and 17 rebounds. Aanekosken maintains seventh place with 11-11 record. Forssan Alku at the other side keeps the third position with eight games lost. They share it with Honka. Aanekosken are looking forward to face bottom-ranked HyPo (#11) in Hyvinkaa in the next round. Forssan Alku will play on the road against the league's leader Catz Lappeenranta (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
SM-sarja top team - Catz Lappeenranta (20-2) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed ninth ranked TuRi (6-16) in Turku 96-60. It was a quality performance for the former international forward Hanna Vapamaa (180-90) who led the winners and scored 12 points and 9 rebounds. Alexandria Anderson accounted for 15 points and 7 rebounds. American forward Callan Taylor (182-90, college: Sacred Heart) came up with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds for TuRi in the defeat. Catz Lappeenranta have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place with 20-2 record. Newly promoted TuRi keeps the ninth position with 16 games lost. Catz Lappeenranta will play against Forssan Alku (#4) at home in the next round. TuRi will play against Torpan Pojat (#5) in Helsinki and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Second ranked Peli-Karhut (18-4) crushed at home 10th ranked BC Nokia (3-19) by 41 points 100-59, which is the biggest margin this round on Saturday night. The best player for the winners was Linda-Lotta Lehtoranta who scored 26 points and 4 steals (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). Peli-Karhut's coach Seppo Kurki felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Alberta Auguste who recorded 15 points. The victory was the seventh consecutive win for Peli-Karhut. They maintain second place with 18-4 record having just two points less than leader Catz. BC Nokia lost their fifth game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the tenth position with 19 games lost. Peli-Karhut will meet Kerava Energia Team (#8) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. BC Nokia will play against Honka in Espoo and hope to secure a win.

In the last two games of round 27 ToPo lost to Honka on the opponent's court 73-79. HoNsU outscored Kerava in a home game 87-67.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 24 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals by Jordan Murphree of Honka.

Honka - ToPo 79-73

Everything could happen in Espoo at the game between two tied teams. Both fourth ranked Honka and 5th ranked Torpan Pojat had identical 13-8 record. This time Honka used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Helsinki 79-73 on Thursday night. Honka made 30-of-37 free shots (81.1 percent) during the game, while Torpan Pojat only scored thirteen points from the stripe. Honka forced 23 Torpan Pojat turnovers. The best player for the winners was American guard Melissa Jeltema (175-88, college: Oakland) who had a double-double by scoring 26 points and 16 rebounds. Her fellow American import guard Jordan Murphree (183-87, college: Texas Tech, agency: Merit Sports) chipped in a double-double by scoring 24 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international power forward Niina Laaksonen (185-85) who recorded a double-double by scoring 20 points and 17 rebounds and international guard Vilma Kesanen (179-88) added 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals respectively. Four Torpan Pojat players scored in double figures. Honka (14-8) moved-up to third place, which they share with FoA. Loser Torpan Pojat keeps the fifth position with nine games lost. They share it with HoNsU. Honka will meet BC Nokia (#10) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Torpan Pojat will play against TuRi (#9) in Turku and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Honka: M.Jeltema 26+16reb+2ast, J.Murphree 24+12reb+5ast, V.Kesanen 13+3reb+1ast, R.Myllyveraja 6+2reb, E.Laaksonen 6+4reb+1ast, T.Menna 2+3reb
ToPo: N.Laaksonen 20+17reb+1ast, V.Kesanen 15+6reb+4ast, K.McBee 13+11reb+1ast, V.Holtta 13+4reb+1ast, K.Valtakari 7+7reb+1ast, A.Arppe 5+2reb

FoA - Huima 55-61

The game between third ranked Forssan Alku (14-8) and seventh ranked Aanekosken (11-11) was the most important one in the last round on Saturday night. Forssan Alku was defeated by Aanekosken in a tough game in Forssa 55-61. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Forssan Alku. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 16-7 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Aanekosken dominated on the defensive end, holding Forssan Alku to just 7 points in third quarter. They also forced 19 Forssan Alku turnovers. Americans were the main players on the court. It was a great evening for swingman Jasmin Holliday (182-90, college: Oregon) who led her team to a victory scoring 25 points and 6 rebounds. Center Kenya Robinson (182-70, college: New Orleans) helped adding 14 points and 10 rebounds. The best for the losing side was forward Secily Ray (180-90, college: Wake Forest) with 6 points and 17 rebounds and point guard Sarah Miles (170-89, college: W.Virginia) scored 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Aanekosken maintains seventh place with 11-11 record. Forssan Alku at the other side keeps the third position with eight games lost. They share it with Honka. Aanekosken are looking forward to face bottom-ranked HyPo (#11) in Hyvinkaa in the next round. Forssan Alku will play on the road against the league's leader Catz Lappeenranta (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Huima: J.Holliday 25+6reb, K.Robinson 14+10reb+2ast, S.Black 10+13reb+1ast, K.Rytkonen 7+3ast, S.Viitanen 5+2reb+3ast, H.Paajanen 0
FoA: S.Helenius 15, L.Saarinen 11+8reb+1ast, H.Koponen 10+2reb+1ast, S.Miles 9+7reb+4ast, S.Ray 6+17reb+1ast, M.Lechlitner 4+3reb+3ast

HoNsU - Kerava 87-67

Rather predictable result in Jyvaskyla where sixth ranked HoNsU (13-9) smashed 8th ranked Kerava Energia Team (6-15) 87-67 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by HoNsU. Kerava Energia Team managed to win second period 21-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. HoNsU dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Kerava Energia Team's 32 and made 17-of-20 free shots (85.0 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Kerava Energia Team 54-42 including 17 on the offensive glass. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Minna Sten (189-87) who had a double-double by scoring 15 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). Guard Laura Lahtinen (174-86) chipped in 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Earlysia Marchbanks (180, college: Oregon St., agency: Interperformances) who recorded a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds and Italian-Ghanian guard Rosetta Adzasu (165-90, college: Washington St.) added 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists respectively. Five HoNsU and four Kerava Energia Team players scored in double figures. Kerava Energia Team's coach rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. HoNsU moved-up to fifth place, which they share with ToPo. Kerava Energia Team lost their fifth game in a row. They keep the eighth position with 15 games lost. HoNsU will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kerava Energia Team will play against the league's second-placed Peli-Karhut (#2) in Kotka and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
HoNsU: L.Lahtinen 20+7reb+4ast, B.Davis 18+5reb+6ast, N.Jackson 17+7reb+4ast, M.Sten 15+16reb+2ast, T.Lepisto 13+12reb, S.Lofman 2+2reb+1ast
Kerava: E.Marchbanks 22+12reb, H.Suhonen 14+1reb, E.Raikkonen 11+3reb+6ast, R.Adzasu 10+9reb+4ast, R.Lukkarinen 4+6reb, M.Ponnelin 4

PeKa - BC Nokia 100-59

Second ranked Peli-Karhut (18-4) crushed at home 10th ranked BC Nokia (3-19) by 41 points 100-59, which is the biggest margin this round on Saturday night. The game without a history. Peli-Karhut led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Peli-Karhut forced 30 BC Nokia turnovers and outrebounded them 45-27 including a 29-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was international guard Linda-Lotta Lehtoranta (175-91) who scored 26 points and 4 steals (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field). American swingman Korinne Campbell (182-88, college: W.Virginia) chipped in a double-double by scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds. Five Peli-Karhut players scored in double figures. Peli-Karhut's coach Seppo Kurki felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Alberta Auguste (180-85, college: Tennessee) who recorded 15 points and center Anniina Aijanen (189-95) added 12 points and 6 rebounds respectively. The victory was the seventh consecutive win for Peli-Karhut. They maintain second place with 18-4 record having just two points less than leader Catz. BC Nokia lost their fifth game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the tenth position with 19 games lost. Peli-Karhut will meet Kerava Energia Team (#8) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. BC Nokia will play against Honka in Espoo and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
PeKa: L.Lehtoranta 26+3reb+2ast, S.Landry 16+8reb+2ast, K.Campbell 15+14reb+1ast, L.Richter 14+2reb, M.McKenzie 12+9reb+4ast, A.Pounds 6+3reb+3ast
BC Nokia: V.Pirttinen 16, A.Auguste 15+4reb+2ast, A.Aijanen 12+6reb+2ast, N.Hyvarinen 8+4reb, N.Lakaniemi 4+1reb, K.Menna 2+5reb+4ast

TuRi - Catz 60-96

SM-sarja top team - Catz Lappeenranta (20-2) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed ninth ranked TuRi (6-16) in Turku 96-60. It looked good early as TuRi took an 1-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Catz Lappeenranta had a 26-14 second period charge getting the lead and TuRi was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 60-96. Catz Lappeenranta dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to TuRi's 44. Catz Lappeenranta forced 23 TuRi turnovers. It was a quality performance for the former international forward Hanna Vapamaa (180-90) who led the winners and scored 12 points and 9 rebounds. American swingman Alexandria Anderson (185-86, college: Chattanooga, agency: Regeneracom Sports) accounted for 15 points and 7 rebounds for the winning side. Five Catz Lappeenranta players scored in double figures. American forward Callan Taylor (182-90, college: Sacred Heart) came up with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds and Canadian guard Brittany Hedderson (175-90, college: Buffalo) added 19 points and 5 assists respectively for TuRi in the defeat. Catz Lappeenranta have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place with 20-2 record. Newly promoted TuRi keeps the ninth position with 16 games lost. Catz Lappeenranta will play against Forssan Alku (#4) at home in the next round. TuRi will play against Torpan Pojat (#5) in Helsinki and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Catz: A.Makitalo 18+1reb+1ast, A.Anderson 15+7reb+1ast, J.Reshetko 15+3reb+4ast, L.Aaltonen 13+4reb+1ast, H.Vapamaa 12+9reb+2ast, C.Jones 12+7reb+1ast
TuRi: B.Hedderson 19+2reb+5ast, C.Taylor 16+11reb, S.Pelander 14+7reb+1ast, K.Karkkainen 4+3reb, E.Koskinen 3+4reb, M.Makela 2+6reb+2ast

Finnish SM-sarja round 27 best performance: Jordan Murphree - by Eurobasket News

American guard Jordan Murphree (183-G-87, agency: Merit Sports) put on an amazing game in the last round for Honka, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 27.
The 25-year old player had a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds, while her team beat ToPo (#5, 13-9) 79-73. Honka is placed at 3rd position in Finnish SM-sarja. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Honka will need more victories to improve their 14-8 record. Murphree turned to be Honka's top player in her first season with the team. Former Texas Tech University star has very solid stats this year. Murphree is in league's top in points (3rd best: 20.0ppg), assists (6th best: 3.7apg) and averages impressive 1.1bpg and 3.8spg.

The second best player in last round's games was another Honka's star - 24-year old American Melissa Jeltema (175-G-88). Jeltema had a very good evening with a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds. It was enough for Honka to edge slightly lower-ranked ToPo (#5, 13-9) 79-73. This victory allowed Honka to move up to 3rd position in the standings. Her team's 14-8 record is not bad at all. Jeltema is a newcomer at Honka, but is already one of team's top players. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 27.1ppg (#1). She also registered 9.5 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was international guard Linda-Lotta Lehtoranta (175-G-91) of league's second-best PeKa. Lehtoranta scored 26 points. She was a key player of PeKa, leading her team to a 100-59 easy win against the lower-ranked BC Nokia (#10, 3-19). PeKa is closer and closer to the top of the standings. They will still need more victories. But 18-4 record is not that bad... Lehtoranta has a very solid season. In 22 games in Finland she scored 16.5ppg. She also has 2.2spg and FGP: 67.8%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Minna Sten (189-F-87) of HoNsU - 15 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Korinne Campbell (182-G/F-88) of PeKa - 15 points and 14 rebounds
6. Niina Laaksonen (185-F/C-85) of ToPo - 20 points and 17 rebounds
7. Kenya Robinson (182-C-70) of Huima - 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Earlysia Marchbanks (180-G) of Kerava - 22 points and 12 rebounds
9. Nia Jackson (170-PG-89) of HoNsU - 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Shenita Landry (188-F-87) of PeKa - 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists

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

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

GERMANY

Petra Glaser's double-double lands her Player of the Week award among Germans playing currently abroad - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Germans who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Petra Glaser

#1. This week's number one is former international power forward Petra Glaser (196-81, college: Long Beach St., currently plays in Sweden), who plays in the Swedish Damligan. She could not help Kvarnby (9-11) in their last game. Despite Glaser's good performance Kvarnby was badly defeated 91-74 on the road by the higher-ranked (#5) Udominate. She had a double-double by scoring 11 points and getting 10 rebounds. Glaser also added 5 assists in 29 minutes on the court. It was Kvarnby's first loss after three consecutive victories. There are only two games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be critical. Glaser has relatively good stats this year: 12.7ppg, 5.9rpg, 2.0apg, 2FGP: 46.8%, 3FGP: 9.1% and FT: 84.0% in the 20 games she played so far. She played for the German senior national team two years ago.

Lea Mersch

#2. Second place goes to former international guard Lea Mersch (170-87, currently plays in Czech Republic). Mersch contributed to a DSK Karlin's surprising victory against the fifth-ranked Kara Trutnov (11-10) 85-79 in the Czech Republic ZBL last Saturday. She scored 9 points and added 3 assists. DSK Basketball Karlin (4-17) is placed second from the bottom (#11) in the ZBL. They ended the series of six consecutive loses. Mersch's team will play only one more game in the Regular Season. And now that game is very crucial. This season Mersch averages: 5.4ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.2apg, 2FGP: 31.9% and FT: 63.3%. She played for the German national team in 2011.

Mara Greunke

#3. The German player who performed third best last week abroad was former U20 international power forward Mara Greunke (185-91, currently plays in Canada). Greunke was not able to help the Western Ontario (9-8) in their game against the Windsor (14-3) in the Canadian university league CIS. She was the second best scorer with 9 points. Greunke also added 5 rebounds in 27 minutes. But the Western Ontario (#4) was crushed 78-49 on the opponent's court by the Windsor. It's Greunke's first season with the team. This year her overall stats are: 5.1ppg, 3.9rpg, 2FGP: 50.7% and FT: 66.7% in the 17 games. Greunke played for the German U20 national team three years ago.

Nadine Grieb

#4. Center Nadine Grieb (184-87, currently plays in Luxembourg), who plays in the Luxembourg Diekirch League was not able to secure a victory for AB Contern (10-5) in their last game on Saturday. Despite her very good performance the third-placed AB Contern was defeated 74-61 in Ettelbruck by the lower-ranked Etzella (#3) in the Places 1-6 group. Grieb recorded a double-double by scoring 22 points and getting 11 rebounds. Grieb is currently seventh on the list of top scorers. She has individually a very good season with high stats. Grieb averages: 18.4ppg, 8.9rpg, 2.4apg and 1.6spg. She used to play for the German U20 national team back in 2007.

Christiane Fischer

   #5. Former U20 international guard Christiane Fischer (168-90, currently plays in Canada) couldn't help the Manitoba University (13-6) in their game against the Alberta (14-4) in the Canadian CIS. Fischer recorded only 4 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 31 minutes. The Manitoba University (#3) was badly defeated 67-48 in Edmonton by the Alberta. There are only three games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game will be important. This year Fischer's total stats are: 3.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.4apg and 1.4spg in the 17 games. She used to play for the German U20 national team three years ago.

The list of other players, who all have German passport but never been selected to any of German national teams:

   #1. Melina Muller (175-F-81, currently plays in Hungary), who plays in the Hungarian A Division could not help MBK Eurl.Vasas (2-21) to beat Cegledi EKK (9-13). Muller did not beat the league record on Wednesday evening. She scored only 2 points. MBK Eurl.Vasas (#6) was defeated 68-60 on the road by the higher-ranked Cegledi EKK (#4) in the Places 9-14 group. It was MBK Eurl.Vasas' sixth consecutive loss in a row. Muller has averaged so far 1.9ppg and 1.1rpg.

   #2. Eva Schonecker (180-G/F-81, currently plays in Luxembourg) was not able to help AB Contern (10-5) in their game against Etzella (12-7) in the Luxembourg Diekirch League. She cannot count it as her best performance. Schonecker recorded only 2 points and added 4 assists in 11 minutes. AB Contern (#3) lost 61-74 in Ettelbruck to the lower-ranked (#3) Etzella in the Places 1-6 group. Schonecker has averaged so far 1.6ppg, 2.0rpg and 1.1apg in the 13 games she played so far.

Other top German players, who play abroad:

Romy Baer (187-F-87) plays for Lyon in French LFB
Anna-Maria Georgiou (180-G-95) plays for NBA in Cypriot A1
Shakila Joyner (182-C-92) plays for BC Vienna in Austrian AWBL
Anna Kraus (93) plays for BC Vienna in Austrian AWBL
Sarah Siebert (87) plays for Basket Flames in Austrian AWBL
Angelica Partyka (183-F/C-96) plays for Basel in Swiss LNA
Adriana Cavojska plays for Charnay in French NF1

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GREECE

Styliani Kaltsidou selected the top Greek playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

We bring you last week's top performances from Greeks who are playing abroad and who all have had prior experience of national team duties at youth or senior level.

Styliani Kaltsidou

#1. This week's number one is former international forward Styliani Kaltsidou (188-83, agency: Josep and Nicolas, currently plays in Euroleague). She led her French team Bourges to a victory over the seventh-ranked IMOS Brno (2-10) crushing them 85-60 in the Euroleague in Wednesday night's game. Kaltsidou was MVP of the game. She scored 17 points and grabbed 4 rebounds (was perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line) in 30 minutes on the court. Cercle Jean Mace Bourges (9-3) is placed second in group A. It was her team's third consecutive victory in a row. The Regular Season already ended in the Euroleague. It's Kaltsidou's fourth season with the team. This year Kaltsidou averages: 8.1ppg, 5.1rpg, 1.8apg, 2FGP: 36.7%, 3FGP: 33.3% and FT: 81.5% in the eight games she played so far. She played for the Greek senior national team two years ago.

Stefanie Murphy

#2. Second place goes to former international power forward Stefanie Murphy (192-89, college: Boston Coll., currently plays in Hungary), who plays in the Hungarian A Division. Murphy could not help Samorin (2-6) in their last game on Sunday. Despite her very good performance the sixth-placed Samorin was defeated 76-70 on the road by the higher-ranked UNI Gyor (#4) in the MEL group. Murphy recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points and getting 13 rebounds. She also added 3 assists. It was his first game for Samorin this season. Murphy is a naturalized American. She played for the Greek national team in 2010. Strangely Murphy has never played in Greece.

Peli Papamichail

#3. The Greek player who performed third best last week abroad was an international power forward Peli Papamichail (189-86, also represented by Josep and Nicolas, currently plays in Italy). She was the main contributor in Ragusa's victory against the ninth-ranked Salerno (7-11) crushing them 72-48 in the Italian A2 (12th division) on Sunday night. Papamichail was the best player in that game. She recorded 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in 26 minutes. Passalacqua Spedizioni Ragusa (17-1) is placed first in South group. It was her team's third consecutive victory in a row. The Regular Season already ended. Papamichail has relatively good stats this year: 13.0ppg, 8.3rpg, 1.2spg, 2FGP: 61.0%(89-146) and FT: 82.4% in the 18 games. She is also a member of the Greek senior national team.

Evanthia Maltsi

#4. An experienced forward Evanthia Maltsi (180-78, another player represented by Josep and Nicolas, currently plays in Turkey) contributed to Kayseri's victory against the closely-ranked Galatasaray (14-3) 72-68 in the Turkish TKBL in Sunday night's game. Maltsi recorded 6 points and added 3 passes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Pankup TED Kayseri Kolejspor (13-3) is placed second in the TKBL. It was her team's fourth consecutive victory in a row. It's Maltsi's first season with the team. This year she has relatively solid stats: 13.3ppg, 2.9rpg, 3.4apg and 1.7spg. Maltsi is also Greek national team player.

Anna Spyridopoulou

#5. Former international forward Anna Spyridopoulou (184-88, currently plays in Sweden) contributed to an easy victory against the closely-ranked 08 Stockholm (12-14) crushing them 84-43 in the Swedish Damligan last Wednesday. She was the top player that evening. Spyridopoulou recorded 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in 24 minutes. Solna Vikings (14-7) is placed fourth in the Damligan. It was her team's third consecutive victory in a row. They will play only one more game in the Regular Season. And that game will be critical. This year Spyridopoulou's overall stats are: 8.2ppg, 7.8rpg, 2.2apg and 1.3spg in the nine games. She used to play for the Greek national team two years ago.

Olga Chatzinikolaou

#6. Swingman Olga Chatzinikolaou (181-81, currently plays in Spain) was not able to help Caja Rural (6-8) in their game against Argon Uni Girona (9-4) in the Spanish LFB. She scored 7 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in 28 minutes. Caja Rural lost 65-77 at home to the higher-ranked (#3) Argon Uni Girona. It was Caja Rural's fourth consecutive loss in a row. This year Chatzinikolaou's total stats are: 8.2ppg, 5.8rpg, 2.2apg and 1.4spg in the 14 games. She is an international player who is currently on the senior Greek National Team roster.

Nafsika Stavridou

#7. International guard Nafsika Stavridou (182-86, currently plays in Sweden) contributed to an easy victory against the league leader IK Eos (13-3) crushing them 86-53 in the Swedish Damligan last Wednesday. Stavridou recorded 7 points and added 3 passes. It was the game of the round between two top 4 ranked teams. Northland Basket Lulea (16-4) is placed third in the Damligan. There are only two games left until the end of the Regular Season. So now every game is very crucial. Stavridou has averaged so far 6.0ppg, 1.8rpg, 2.4apg and 1.4spg. She is also Greek national team player.

Katerina Glyniadaki

#8. Center Katerina Glyniadaki (196-86, college: Cal-Riverside, currently plays in Italy) was not able to secure a victory for C.U.S. Chieti (4-9) in their game against Lucca (10-3) in the Italian A1. Glyniadaki cannot count Sunday's game as one of the best ones. She recorded only 3 points in 17 minutes. C.U.S. Chieti was crushed 94-48 on the opponent's court by the second-ranked Lucca. Glyniadaki has averaged so far 4.5ppg and 2.0rpg in the two games. She used to play for the Greek U20 national team back in 2006.

One more player who has never been selected to any of national teams, but has Greek passport:

#1. Experienced Vicky Volonaki (179-F-80, currently plays in Sweden) led Solna Vikings to a 3-point victory over the tenth-ranked Visby Ladies (5-14) 70-67 in the Swedish Damligan on Monday night. Volonaki was the top player that evening. She scored 17 points and blocked 2 blocks. Solna Vikings (14-7) is placed fourth in the Damligan. It was her team's third consecutive victory in a row. They will play only one more game in the Regular Season. And that game will be critical. Volonaki has reliable stats this season: 10.1ppg, 3.2rpg, 2.6apg and 1.4spg.

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HUNGARY

Standings - Women

A Standings

MEL
1. UNIQA Eurol.		9-0
2. Good Angels		8-0
3. MBK Ruzomb.		5-3
4. UNI Gyor		5-3
5. Piestanske C.		2-2
6. Samorin		2-7
7. PEAC-PECS		1-3
8. DKSK		1-3
Places 9-14
1. Bacsbasket		20-4
2. ZTE NKK		16-6
3. Atomeromu		14-8
4. Cegledi EKK		9-14
5. BSE-FCSM		8-15
6. MBK Eurl.Vasas		2-22

Stage One Standings

Second Stage: Round 2

MEL

Jan. 6: UNIQA Eurol. - Samorin 96-74
Feb. 2: Good Angels - PEAC-PECS 83-40
Feb. 2: MBK Ruzomb. - DKSK 80-64
Feb. 2: UNIQA Eurol. - Piestanske C. 79-43
Feb. 3: UNI Gyor - Samorin 76-70

Places 9-14

Feb. 5: Bacsbasket - Cegledi EKK 84-60
Feb. 7: BSE-FCSM - Atomeromu 83-85
Jan. 30: Cegledi EKK - MBK Eurl.Vasas 68-60
Feb. 2: BSE-FCSM - Bacsbasket 61-75
Feb. 6: MBK Eurl.Vasas - ZTE NKK 32-69

Second Stage: Round 3

MEL

Feb. 9: UNIQA Eurol. - MBK Ruzomb.
Feb. 9: Samorin - DKSK
Feb. 10: Piestanske C. - PEAC-PECS
Feb. 11: UNI Gyor - Good Angels

Places 9-14

Feb. 10: ZTE NKK - Cegledi EKK
Feb. 10: BSE-FCSM - MBK Eurl.Vasas
Feb. 10: Atomeromu - Bacsbasket

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Brittainey RAVEN
  DKSK
  (183-G-88)
  Avg: 19.9

1. Raven, DKSK	19.9
2. Milovanovic, UNIQA	18.9
3. Balint, Atomeromu	16.5
4. Dorogobuzova, Bac.	15.1
5. Johnson, UNIQA E.	14.7
6. Hurst, UNI Gyor	13.7
7. Scekic, Atomeromu	13.6
8. Barbour, PE.	13.3
9. Karolyi, BSE-.	13.2
10. Mrozinska, Cegledi	13.1

Rebounds Per Game

Judit BARNAI
  MBK E.
  (190-F/C-94)
  Avg: 10.3

1. Barnai, MBK E.	10.3
2. Sanford, DKSK	8.3
3. Jaeschke, PE.	7.6
4. Nagy-Bujdoso, UNI	7.0
5. Barbour, PE.	6.3
6. Krnjic, UNIQA E.	6.1
7. Skoric, DKSK	6.1
8. Kublina, UNI Gyor	6.0
9. Johnson, UNIQA E.	5.9
10. Brumermane, Bacsb.	5.8

Assists Per Game

Zsofia FEGYVERNEKY
  UNIQA E.
  (182-G-84)
  Avg: 5

1. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.	5.0
2. Medgyessy, Cegledi	4.3
3. Hurst, UNI Gyor	3.9
4. Ivanyi, Bacsbasket	3.7
5. Szalay, ZTE N.	3.6
6. Furesz, PE.	3.5
7. Bukovszki, DKSK	3.1
8. Szelesy, ZTE N.	3.0
9. Torok, Bacsbasket	2.9
10. Raven, DKSK	2.8

Steals Per Game

Shenise JOHNSON
  UNIQA E.
  (180-G-90)
  Avg: 3.4

1. Johnson, UNIQA E.	3.4
2. Raven, DKSK	2.9
3. Ivanyi, Bacsbasket	2.6
4. Barbour, PE.	2.6
5. Szalay, ZTE N.	2.5
6. Sanford, DKSK	2.4
7. Laczi, Bacsbasket	2.3
8. Furesz, PE.	2.3
9. Bukovszki, DKSK	2.2
10. Theodorean, Atom.	2.1

Blocks Per Game

Judit BARNAI
  MBK E.
  (190-F/C-94)
  Avg: 1.3

1. Barnai, MBK E.	1.3
2. Svitlica, Atomeromu	1.3
3. Teilane, UNIQA E.	1.1
4. Sanford, DKSK	0.9
5. Jaeschke, PE.	0.9
6. Hatar, MBK E.	0.9
7. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.	0.8
8. Kublina, UNI Gyor	0.7
9. Brumermane, Bacsb.	0.7
10. Shegog, UNI Gyor	0.7

A Division Round 2 (Second Stage): MKB Euroleasing keeps a leadership position - by Eurobasket News

There were only 2 rounds played so far and it's still very beginning of the Second Stage in A Division.

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked MKB Euroleasing as it allowed them to take a leadership position in Division. MKB Euroleasing smashed 6th ranked Samorin in Sopron 96-74. The game was mostly controlled by MKB Euroleasing. Samorin managed to win fourth quarter 28-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. MKB Euroleasing made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by Samorin's players. Serbian forward Jelena Milovanovic (190-89) scored 23 points to lead the charge for the winners and American guard Shenise Johnson (180-90, college: Miami, FL) chipped in 18 points during the contest. MKB Euroleasing's coach Norbert Szekely felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American-Greek power forward Stefanie Murphy (192-89, college: Boston Coll.) responded with 16 points and 8 rebounds. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Samorin at the other side keeps the sixth place with seven games lost. Samorin will play next round against DKSK trying to get back on the winning streak. MKB Euroleasing will try to continue on its current victory against third ranked MBK Ruzomberok at home.
Fifth-ranked BSE-FCSM (8-15) gave a tough game to third ranked Atomeromu (14-8) in Budapest. The visitors from Szekszard managed to secure only two-point victory 85-83. However their fans expected easier game. International Reka Balint (182-91) notched 25 points and 5 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) to lead the effort and Maja Scekic supported her with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Even 40 points (!!!) and 4 steals by the former international swingman Andrea Karolyi (183-75) did not help to save the game for BSE-FCSM. BSE-FCSM's coach Stevan Cupic rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Atomeromu maintains third position in Division with 14-8 record having just -18 point less than leader UNIQA Eurol. BSE-FCSM at the other side keeps the fifth place with 15 games lost. Atomeromu will play against league's leader Bacsbasket in Baja in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. BSE-FCSM's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Budapest MBK Eurl.Vasas.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Baja. First ranked host Bacsbasket (20-4) smashed 4th ranked Cegledi EKK (9-14) 84-60. The best player for the winners was Katerina Dorogobuzova who scored 21 points and 9 rebounds. Bacsbasket's coach felt very confident using entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Anett Serban produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds for the guests. Bacsbasket maintains first position in Division with 20-4 record. Loser Cegledi EKK keeps the fourth place with 14 games lost. Bacsbasket will meet Atomeromu (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Cegledi EKK will play against the league's second-placed ZTE NKK in Zalaegerszeg and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Budapest supposed to be also worth to mention about. Second ranked ZTE NKK (16-6) played at the court of 6th ranked MBK Eurl.Vasas (2-22). ZTE NKK smashed MBK Eurl.Vasas 69-32. Zsofia Varga orchestrated the victory by scoring 18 points. MBK Eurl.Vasas' coach gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. ZTE NKK maintains second position in Division with 16-6 record having just -20 point less than leader UNIQA Eurol. MBK Eurl.Vasas at the other side keep the sixth place with 22 games lost. ZTE NKK's next round opponent will be Cegledi EKK (#4) at home. MBK Eurl.Vasas will play against BSE-FCSM in Budapest and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Budapest was also quite interesting. First ranked Bacsbasket (20-4) played at the court of 5th ranked BSE-FCSM (8-15). Bacsbasket defeated BSE-FCSM 75-61 on Saturday. Katerina Dorogobuzova scored 23 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners. Both coaches used bench players saving starting five for next games. Bacsbasket maintains first position in Division with 20-4 record. Loser BSE-FCSM keeps the fifth place with 15 games lost. Bacsbasket will face Atomeromu (#3) in Szekszard in the next round, which may be the game of the day. BSE-FCSM's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Budapest MBK Eurl.Vasas.

There were no shocking results in the other games in round 2:
In Division Piestanske C. lost to undefeated UNIQA Eurol. on the opponent's court 43-79. UNI Gyor managed to outperform Samorin in a home game 76-70. PEAC-PECS lost to undefeated Good Angels on the road 40-83. MBK Ruzomb. defeated DKSK on its own court 80-64. MBK Eurl.Vasas was beaten by Cegledi EKK in a road game 68-60.

Group MEL

UNIQA Eurol. - Samorin 96-74

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked MKB Euroleasing as it allowed them to take a leadership position in Division. MKB Euroleasing smashed 6th ranked Samorin in Sopron 96-74. The game was mostly controlled by MKB Euroleasing. Samorin managed to win fourth quarter 28-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. MKB Euroleasing made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by Samorin's players. Serbian forward Jelena Milovanovic (190-89) scored 23 points to lead the charge for the winners and American guard Shenise Johnson (180-90, college: Miami, FL) chipped in 18 points during the contest. MKB Euroleasing's coach Norbert Szekely felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American-Greek power forward Stefanie Murphy (192-89, college: Boston Coll.) responded with 16 points and 8 rebounds and Slovakian power forward Romana Vynuchalova (192-86, college: Penn St.) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. Four Samorin players scored in double figures. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Samorin at the other side keeps the sixth place with seven games lost. Samorin will play next round against DKSK trying to get back on the winning streak. MKB Euroleasing will try to continue on its current victory against third ranked MBK Ruzomberok at home.
Top scorers:
UNIQA Eurol.: J.Milovanovic 23+2reb, S.Johnson 18+3reb+3ast, O.Zsovar 15+5reb+2ast, S.Krnjic 9+5reb+2ast, R.Cserny 8+8reb+3ast, Z.Licskai 7+5reb+1ast
Samorin: S.Murphy 16+8reb+1ast, R.Vynuchalova 14+10reb+1ast, T.Sujova 13+1reb+2ast, M.Luptakova 10+8reb+2ast, R.Talajkova 4+3reb, A.Slamova 4+1reb

UNIQA Eurol. - Piestanske C. 79-43

Rather expected game in Sopron where 5th ranked Piestanske C. (2-2) was crushed by top-ranked MKB Euroleasing (9-0) 79-43 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by MKB Euroleasing. Piestanske C. was better in fourth quarter 13-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Piestanske C. to just 6 points in second quarter. MKB Euroleasing dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Piestanske C.'s 28. MKB Euroleasing forced 26 Piestanske C. turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when MKB Euroleasing made 8 blocks. Serbian forward Jelena Milovanovic (190-89) scored 15 points (perfect from the field making all six shots) to lead the charge for the winners and the former international guard Zsofia Fegyverneky (182-84, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) chipped in 9 points, 5 assists and 4 steals during the contest. Coach Norbert Szekely's team controlled all game and the coach could let to play 11 players saving starting five for next games. Slovakian forward Lucia Krc-Turbova (185-89) responded with 13 points and 6 rebounds and Slovakian swingman Marta Palenikova (184-92) scored 16 points. MKB Euroleasing keeps a position of Division leader. Newly promoted Piestanske C. keeps the fifth place with two games lost. MKB Euroleasing will face MBK Ruzomberok (#3) at home in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Piestanske C. will play against PEAC-PECS in Pecs and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
UNIQA Eurol.: J.Milovanovic 15+4reb+2ast, A.Holt 12+2reb+3ast, R.Cserny 11+3reb+2ast, Z.Fegyverneky 9+4reb+5ast, S.Johnson 9+3reb+2ast, Z.Licskai 7+4reb+1ast
Piestanske C.: M.Palenikova 16, L.Krc-Turbova 13+6reb+3ast, M.Zentkova 3+6reb+1ast, Z.Pilatova 3+1reb, P.Bartanusova 2+3reb, . 2+4reb+3ast

UNI Gyor - Samorin 76-70

Rather predictable result when fourth ranked UNI Gyor (5-3) defeated at home 6th ranked Samorin (2-7) 76-70 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 3 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 3-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 76-70. UNI Gyor made 26-of-29 free shots (89.7 percent) during the game, while Samorin only scored ten points from the stripe. UNI Gyor forced 19 Samorin turnovers. Samorin was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. Australian point guard Natalie Hurst (164-83) scored 26 points, 5 assists and 5 steals to lead the charge for the winners and international guard Zsofia Simon (180-89, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. American-Greek power forward Stefanie Murphy (192-89, college: Boston Coll.) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 13 rebounds and Slovakian guard Timea Sujova (173-84) scored 18 points and 7 assists. Defending champion maintains fourth position in Division with 5-3 record. Loser Samorin keeps the sixth place with seven games lost. UNI Gyor will face league's second-placed Good Angels in Kosice in the next round and it may be the game of the week. Samorin will play at home against DKSK (#8) in Miskolc and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
UNI Gyor: N.Hurst 26+3reb+5ast, Z.Simon 13+5reb+2ast, A.Dobos 8+6reb, G.Ori 6+6reb+1ast, K.Raksanyi 5+6reb, A.Lakloth 5+6ast
Samorin: S.Murphy 24+13reb+3ast, T.Sujova 18+4reb+7ast, R.Vynuchalova 15+8reb+1ast, A.Slamova 7+2reb+5ast, . 4+5reb+1ast, R.Talajkova 2+6reb+1ast

Good Angels - PEAC-PECS 83-40

Not a big story in a game in Kosice where 7th ranked PEAC-PECS (1-3) was rolled over by top-ranked Good Angels (8-0) 83-40 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Good Angels. PEAC-PECS was better in fourth quarter 21-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding PEAC-PECS to just 3 points in third quarter. Defending champion maintains second position in Division with 8-0 record behind leader UNIQA Eurol. Newly promoted PEAC-PECS keeps the seventh place with three games lost. Good Angels will face UNI Gyor (#4) on the road in the next round. PEAC-PECS will play against Piestanske C. in Piestany and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

MBK Ruzomb. - DKSK 80-64

Everything went according to plan when third ranked MBK Ruzomberok (5-3) beat at home 8th ranked DKSK (1-3) 80-64 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by MBK Ruzomberok. DKSK was better in third quarter 22-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. MBK Ruzomberok maintains third position in Division with 5-3 record having five points less than leader UNIQA Eurol. Loser DKSK keeps the eighth place with three games lost. MBK Ruzomberok will face league's leader MKB Euroleasing in Sopron in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. DKSK will play on the road against Samorin (#6) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Group Places 9-14

BSE-FCSM - Atomeromu 83-85

Fifth-ranked BSE-FCSM (8-15) gave a tough game to third ranked Atomeromu (14-8) in Budapest. The visitors from Szekszard managed to secure only two-point victory 85-83. However their fans expected easier game. The guests were already 17 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 31-16 BSE-FCSM's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 85-83 at the end of the game. BSE-FCSM was plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. International Reka Balint (182-91) notched 25 points and 5 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) to lead the effort and Serbian guard Maja Scekic (169-87) supported her with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Four Atomeromu players scored in double figures. Even 40 points (!!!) and 4 steals by the former international swingman Andrea Karolyi (183-75) did not help to save the game for BSE-FCSM. Forward Lilla Adamecz (181-92) added 10 points and 8 rebounds for the hosts. BSE-FCSM's coach Stevan Cupic rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Atomeromu maintains third position in Division with 14-8 record having just -18 point less than leader UNIQA Eurol. BSE-FCSM at the other side keeps the fifth place with 15 games lost. Atomeromu will play against league's leader Bacsbasket in Baja in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. BSE-FCSM's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Budapest MBK Eurl.Vasas.
Top scorers:
Atomeromu: R.Balint 25+5reb+3ast, M.Scekic 20+6reb+1ast, I.Roglic 11+5reb+3ast, D.Svitlica 10+4reb+3ast, D.Zele 8+3reb, A.Theodorean 5+3reb+2ast
BSE-FCSM: A.Karolyi 40+3reb+2ast, K.Tiba 12+2reb+3ast, L.Adamecz 10+8reb+1ast, V.Orso 9+1reb+4ast, Z.Sonyak 6+5reb+3ast, M.Bagi 4+4reb+1ast

MBK Eurl.Vasas - ZTE NKK 32-69

The game in Budapest supposed to be also worth to mention about. Second ranked ZTE NKK (16-6) played at the court of 6th ranked MBK Eurl.Vasas (2-22). ZTE NKK smashed MBK Eurl.Vasas 69-32. The game without a history. ZTE NKK led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding MBK Eurl.Vasas to just 4 points in third quarter and to 10 points in second half. ZTE NKK held MBK Eurl.Vasas to an opponent 23.5 percent shooting from the field compared to 43.2 percent accuracy of the winners. ZTE NKK forced 31 MBK Eurl.Vasas turnovers. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists comparing to just 4 passes made by MBK Eurl.Vasas' players. The former international forward Zsofia Varga (182-89) orchestrated the victory by scoring 18 points. International guard Timea Czank (176-86, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) contributed with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for the winners. Four ZTE NKK players scored in double figures. Power forward Judit Barnai (190-94) replied with 4 points and 16 rebounds and Sz Katona added 10 points in the effort for MBK Eurl.Vasas. MBK Eurl.Vasas' coach gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. ZTE NKK maintains second position in Division with 16-6 record having just -20 point less than leader UNIQA Eurol. MBK Eurl.Vasas at the other side keep the sixth place with 22 games lost. ZTE NKK's next round opponent will be Cegledi EKK (#4) at home. MBK Eurl.Vasas will play against BSE-FCSM in Budapest and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
ZTE NKK: Z.Varga 18+2reb+3ast, A.Vida 15+2reb+2ast, Z.Horvath 12+4reb, T.Czank 10+8reb+4ast, A.Gensler 8+2reb+1ast, V.Szalay 4+2reb+8ast
MBK Eurl.Vasas: S.Katona 10+3reb, J.Manyoky 5+1ast, S.Pusztai 5+1ast, J.Barnai 4+16reb+1ast, V.Bajnoczi 3+2reb, D.Koch 3+1ast

Bacsbasket - Cegledi EKK 84-60

The game between Top Four teams took place in Baja. First ranked host Bacsbasket (20-4) smashed 4th ranked Cegledi EKK (9-14) 84-60. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 44-19 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Bacsbasket dominated on the defensive end, holding Cegledi EKK to just 4 points in fourth quarter. They also forced 27 Cegledi EKK turnovers. Bacsbasket looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was Ukrainian forward Katerina Dorogobuzova (190-90, agency: LBM Management) who scored 21 points and 9 rebounds. The former international guard Dalma Ivanyi (178-76, college: FIU) chipped in 10 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Four Bacsbasket players scored in double figures. Bacsbasket's coach felt very confident using entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Center Anett Serban (185-85) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds and Polish power forward Natalia Mrozinska (191-84) added 11 points and 10 rebounds respectively for the guests. Bacsbasket maintains first position in Division with 20-4 record. Loser Cegledi EKK keeps the fourth place with 14 games lost. Bacsbasket will meet Atomeromu (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Cegledi EKK will play against the league's second-placed ZTE NKK in Zalaegerszeg and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bacsbasket: K.Dorogobuzova 21+9reb+2ast, S.Torok 11+3reb+2ast, D.Ivanyi 10+8reb+7ast, K.Kovacs 10+4reb+1ast, E.Laczi 7+1reb+2ast, N.Sarok 7+2reb+3ast
Cegledi EKK: A.Serban 16+10reb, A.Chomac 13+3reb+2ast, N.Mrozinska 11+10reb, B.Baksa 7+4reb+1ast, D.Millner 7, D.Filipowicz 4+3reb

BSE-FCSM - Bacsbasket 61-75

The game in Budapest was also quite interesting. First ranked Bacsbasket (20-4) played at the court of 5th ranked BSE-FCSM (8-15). Bacsbasket defeated BSE-FCSM 75-61 on Saturday. The game without a history. Bacsbasket led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Bacsbasket outrebounded BSE-FCSM 36-21 including 24 on the defensive glass. BSE-FCSM was plagued by 28 personal fouls down the stretch. Ukrainian forward Katerina Dorogobuzova (190-90, agency: LBM Management) scored 23 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Latvian center Aija Brumermane (191-86, agency: Regeneracom Sports) chipped in 13 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. The former international swingman Andrea Karolyi (183-75) responded with 10 points and 7 rebounds and forward Klara Tiba (193-81) scored 12 points. Both coaches used bench players saving starting five for next games. Bacsbasket maintains first position in Division with 20-4 record. Loser BSE-FCSM keeps the fifth place with 15 games lost. Bacsbasket will face Atomeromu (#3) in Szekszard in the next round, which may be the game of the day. BSE-FCSM's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Budapest MBK Eurl.Vasas.
Top scorers:
Bacsbasket: K.Dorogobuzova 23+7reb, A.Brumermane 13+6reb, N.Kovats 9+2reb, D.Ivanyi 8+6reb+2ast, N.Sarok 5+2reb+2ast, K.Penzes 5+1ast
BSE-FCSM: K.Tiba 12+2reb+1ast, Z.Katona 12+1reb+1ast, A.Karolyi 10+7reb+2ast, M.Bagi 7+3ast, L.Adamecz 7+3reb, B.Varga 4+1reb

Cegledi EKK - MBK Eurl.Vasas 68-60

There was no surprise when 6th ranked MBK Eurl.Vasas (2-22) were defeated on the road by fourth ranked Cegledi EKK (9-14) 68-60 on Wednesday. MBK Eurl.Vasas trailed by 14 points after 3 quarters before a 17-11 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 60-68 at the end of the game. Polish guard Katarzyna Cymmer (172-89) scored 23 points and 6 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Polish center Aleksandra Chomac (191-85, agency: Promotex) chipped in 8 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. Power forward Judit Barnai (190-94) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds and Sz Katona scored 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Cegledi EKK maintains fourth position in Division with 9-14 record. Loser MBK Eurl.Vasas keep the sixth place with 22 games lost. Cegledi EKK will face league's second-placed ZTE NKK in Zalaegerszeg in the next round and it may be the game of the week. MBK Eurl.Vasas will play on the road against BSE-FCSM (#5) in Budapest and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Cegledi EKK: K.Cymmer 23+6reb+1ast, D.Medgyessy 16+2ast, N.Mrozinska 12+7reb, A.Chomac 8+11reb+4ast, K.Orban 5+3reb+5ast, A.Serban 4+3reb
MBK Eurl.Vasas: J.Barnai 19+10reb+1ast, J.Manyoky 11+2reb+4ast, S.Katona 10+5reb+4ast, J.Hegedus 9+2reb, A.Mansare 5+4reb+2ast, S.Pusztai 3+2ast

Katalin Honti selected the top Hungarian playing abroad in last week's games - by Eurobasket Center

Here is the weekly review of the top performing Hu