Emperor's Cup Series - Domestic Tournaments (Bball Edition)

[Vangaziland]

Welcome, international citizens, to the opening of the Emperor's Cup Series. We will see the best athletes in Vangaziland battle to establish which league and which conference is truly the top dog. Starting it all, we will see five teams from Vangaziland's top two basketball leagues as well as three teams from Wrexwic's top league competing in one round robin tournament to settle once and for all, who is who in The Empire.

There will be a one game playoff for teams one and two and three and four.

This is designed to be a quick, simple, definitive tournament in true Vannish style.

There will be eight match days, including the playoff day with room for an additional tiebreaker day. All matches will be played in Emeros, Vangaziland at two different arenas. The event is expected to generate millions for the capital city.

Stay tuned for updates from me, Sarah Kelleson, on this tournament and others. Futsal and Lacrosse are on the docket for future tournaments.

Take care, see you.

Sarah Kelleson is an Overglade University alum, former lacrosse player and Vangazi sports journalist.
Results published approx. 1pm Pacific

[Vangaziland]

Team Rosters & Previews

(*) = National Team Player

Auster Squall
Projected Ranking: 2
City: Auster, Vangaziland
Team Colors: Midnight Blue, Yellow
Logo: Blue cloud with yellow lightning strike

C - Frank Hurcle #33 - 7'0 (*)
PF - Manny Lenden - #40 - 6'10 (*)
SF - Kendall Walkeson #27 - 6'8
SG - Julius Handsen #22 - 6'5 (*)
PG - Tom Gregssen #11 - 6'2
F - John Marksen #30 - 6'5
F - Kevin Tonier #44 - 6'8
F - Jake Dennis # 29 - 6'7
G - Hector Halvorson #21 - 6'3
G - Andrew Botun #13 - 6'4
G - Nate Masters #3 - 6'1
C - Mark Varnson #50 - 7'1

The Squall have National team players Hurcle and Lenden starting in the frontcourt. They play defense and score in the post. Julius Handsen is the National team's starting two guard and is known for his three point shooting. The team has a very deep bench, including veteran center Mark Varnson.

Emeros Zap
Projected Ranking: 1
City: Emeros, Vangaziland
Team Colors: Orange, Black
Logo: Black fist holding three orange lightning bolts


C - Jon Hectar #34 - 7'0
PF - Jon Jennsen #14 - 6'10 (*)
SF - Myke Fulborg #27 - 6'6 (*)
SG - Tony Gravu #25 - 6'6
PG - Hectare Yulssen #1 - 6'1 (*)
F - Kent Tayson #31 - 6'7
F - Trav Hinterson #95 - 6'10
F - David Sheek #44 - 6'7
G - Pritchard Ottossen #3 - 6'4
G - Henry Illet #1 - 6'0
G - Tony Boca #14 - 6'3
C - Xavier Salvosen - 6'11

National team Captain Jon Jennsen starts alongside national team players Fulborg, Gravu and Yulssen, who starts at PG internationally. The bench is less deep than the Squall's, but they have a solid sixth man in David Sheek as well as some young prospects.

Wrexwic Pirates
Projected Ranking: 3
City: Capital City, Wrexwic
Team Colors: Crimson, Black
Logo: Crimson wave with black outlines

C - Tomas Hannsen #45 - 6'11 (*)
PF- Manny Battle #32 - 6'9
SF - Peter Dawn #29 -6'7
SG - Tom Gravu #25 - 6'6 (*)
PG - Jacob Mitchell #5 - 6'1
F - Chris Kritchie # 40 - 6'6
F - Dave Streaker #45 - 6'11
G - Lionel Henders #20 - 6'2
G - John Stitchum #15 - 6'4
G - Freddie Hinterson #7- 5'11
C - Tomas Gregson #42- 6'11
C - Tobias Jacobs #33- 7'0

Tom Gravu and Tomas Hannsen carried the Pirates to a championship in the WBL, the top domestic league in Wrexwic, a protectorate of the Vannish Empire. Manny Battle is a solid forward who probably could play on the Vannish national team. Only his Wrexish blood and maybe a low free throw percentage keeps him off the Royals.

New Brook Firestorm
Projected Ranking: 8
City: New Brook, Vangaziland
Team Colors: Red, Yellow, White
Logo: Red basketball surrounded by yellow flame with white highlights

C - Mike Matthews #33 - 7'0
PF - Julius Styles #42 - 6'11
SF - Cameron Davissen #36 - 6'7
SG - Peter Dawkis #11 - 6'4
PG - Kris Middleton #3 - 6'1
F - Hank Navi #32 - 6'5
F - Johnathan Wilkes #44 - 6'9
F - Kevin Stacks #30 - 6'7
G - Steven Chilsen #12 - 6'2
G - Vincent Smithson #20 - 6'6
C - Dennis Louk #50 - 6'11

The Firestorm are a young team that is streaky, but can put up a lot of points. They represented their conference in their domestic final, but lost by ten. Look for Middleton to lead his team with lots of good passing and playcalling. Dennis Louk is still too thin for the Vannish leagues in the opinion of many.

Davenson Doberman
Projected Ranking: 5
City: Davenson, Vangaziland
Team Colors: Black, Brown
Logo: Doberman's head, facing left, mouth open

C - Dom Fredrix #55 7'1
PF - Jolla Borgsen #30 - 6'8 (*)
SF -Benny Steel #27 - 6'6
SG - Greg Hensson #8 - 6'5 (*)
PG - Mark Focus #3 - 6'1
F - Dave Neimus #32 - 6'9
F - Frank Hurd #41 - 6'8
F - Juan Sanchez #35 - 6'6
G - Steph Madeson #11 - 6'4
G - Taye Leadwind #1 - 5'11
G - Vernon Grass #24 - 6'5
C - Trip Johnssen #44 - 6'11

The team named after a single doberman are led by National team players Jolla Borgsen and Greg Hensson. Borgsen is known as the sixth man of the Vangaziland Royals. Here he picks up starters minutes and he makes good use of them, pulling down many rebounds and grabbing blocks and steals in the post. Hennson is a very efficient shooter that causes matchup problems for opposing defenses. Benny Steel is coming off a really hot domestic season. Scouts are watching him.

Capital City Metro
Projected Ranking: 6
City: Capital City, Wrexwic
Team Colors: Gray, Silver, White
Logo: Capital City skyline outlined, within an oval

C - Fred Jolla #50 - 7'0
PF - Nathan Jacobs #41 - 6'10
SF - Steve Simssen #14 - 6'7
SG - Matt Griers #22 - 6'5
PG - Pete Avery #1 - 6'3
F - Art Bedrix #15 - 6'6
F - Christopher Ironwrought #32 - 6'8
G - Bill Shipson #18 - 6'6
G - Jackie Franks #21 - 6'4
G - Larry Honton #7 - 6'2
C - J.T. Dredde #33 - 6'11
C - Tommy Doolittle #42 6'11

Don't be put off by the ranking of 8. A lot could happen in this tournament and this team could easily finish in the top 5. Wrexish All-Star Jackie Franks is coming off a cold season that has him on this team's bench. If he can get hot and regain his starting job, expect this team to rise. Rookie Chris Ironwrought is one of the top young players to watch.


Blue Coast Mariners
Projected Ranking: 4
City: Blue Coast, Vangaziland
Team Colors: Electric Blue, Gray
Logo: Letter 'M' divided half blue, half gray

C - Lonnie Knucks #34 - 7'1
PF - Tim French #40 - 6'10
SF - Michael Swanssen #27 - 6'6
SG - Fred Sokol #16 - 6'5 (*)
PG - John Hendorn #7 - 6'3 (*)
F - Matt Jenson #14 - 6'6
F - Will Attkin #35 - 6'9
F - Quincy Stevens #32 - 6'8
G - Wally Petessen #27 - 6'7
G - Kristian Auster #25 - 6'5
G - Chip Quarterly #1 - 6'1
C - Vince Stavos #42 - 6'11

Hendorn and Sokol are two of the Vannish National Team's most reliable shooters. They are expected to compete for the third spot in the cup and could always make a run if players like Attkin or Swannsen get into a rhythmn.

Tremooty Blackhawks
Projected Ranking: 7
City: Tremooty, Wrexwic
Team Colors: Black, Green, Yellow
Logo: Diving hawk, sideways angle facing left, black with green and yellow eye

C - S.P. Weedston #42 - 6'11
PF - Lamont Smith #8 - 6'10
SF - Mike Marks #36 - 6'7
SG - Kev Forte #23 - 6'6
PG - Bernie Traysen #6 - 6'1
F - Jamal Swift #15 - 6'9
F - Nathan Jones #25 - 6'6
F - Alan Hankson #44 - 6'8
G - Chris Zonk #7 - 6'0
G - Wes Quinton #11 - 6'5
C - Marcus Smith #31 - 6'11
C - Pietre Petrovich #50 - 7'0

It must be said that this team plays with a small frontcourt. Smith is a solid post player, and Marks is an agile forward. Kev Forte is being scouted by the Vannish National Team for his shooting. Traysen and Zonk are both promising, young point guards.

Matchdays

Round 1



The number in the chart above is the coaches' projected ranking which was polled independently from the media projected ranking in the first section. Blue Coast and New Brook are the teams with the greatest variation in projected rankings.

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 76–82 (Davenson Doberman)
Davenson ended up pulling off today's upset, thanks to Jolla Borgsen's post dominance. He put up 18 points but also capped off a defensive effort with 3 blocks and a steal. Hennson put up 16 for the Doberman. Center Frank Hurcle came out cold for the opposing team. It was a close game that went down to the wire, both teams exchanging runs along the way.

(Emeros Zap) 81–72 (Capital City Metro)
This was a game that Emeros was never in danger of losing. Although Chris Ironwrought led the Metro on an 11 point fourth quarter run. Yulssen ran his offense and contributed 6 out of his 12 assists in the last quarter to keep the game out of the Metro's clutches. Fulborg pulled down 11 rebounds.

(Wrexwic Pirates) 70–82 (Blue Coast Mariners)
The Mariners are considered a young up and coming team looking to challenge the favorites. Sokol and Hendorn played an efficient game, moving the ball around the perimeter. They passed in to Lonnie Knucks who finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds and a block. The pirates started cold in the first quarter and couldn't quite recover. Gravu put up 19 points for Wrexwic.

(New Brook Firestorm) 70–78 (Tremooty Blackhawks)
Experts called this the most even matchup so far. Navi and Chilsen played a lot of minutes off the bench towards the end as they had shown good form throughout. 6'6" SG Kev Forte buried them with his valiant effort, finishing with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. PG Bernie Traysen totaled 12 assists for the Blackhawks.

Record - Points
Emeros Zap (1-0) 1 pt
Davenson Doberman (1-0) 1 pt
Blue Coast Mariners (1-0) 1 pt
Tremooty Blackhawks (1-0) 1 pt
Auster Squall (0-1) 0 pts
Capital City Metro (0-1) 0 pts
Wrexwic Pirates (0-1) 0 pts
New Brook Firestorm (0-1) 0 pts

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 88–74 (Emeros Zap)
The coaches had ranked Auster #1 while the media poll had them ranked #2. Auster made quite a case for themselves, earning a convincing victory over the hometown Zap. Rebounding and defense were the keys to the game. Frank Hurcle had a better night than his international teammates on the opposing frontcourt. Myke Fulborg only put up 6 points, 3 assists and 4 rebounds for Emeros. Zap players seem to feel they can make the run they need to recover, based on post-game interviews.

(Wrexwic Pirates) 72–73 (Davenson Doberman)
Greg Hensson finished this one off with a buzzer beating shot from the top of the key. It capped off a 22 point performance. Dom Fredrix pulled down 12 rebounds for the winning team and added two blocks. Tom Gravu had a hot night for Wrexwic, scoring 31. Mitchell ended up with 8 assists, many of which ended up in Gravu's hands. Manny Battle pulled off a windmill dunk over Borgsen that immediately went on the international highlight reel.

(New Brook Firestorm) 72–77 (Capital City Metro)
Two evenly matched teams battled for an important win in this short tournament. The Metro shot at a higher percentage from the field, led by Matt Griers' 21 points. Chris Ironwrought had a solid night getting 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench. New Brook had an 11 point lead at halftime. Dawkis only put up 6 of his 20 points in the second half. Hank Navi tried to pick up the slack in the second half, picking up a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

(Tremooty Blackhawks) 67–95 (Blue Coast Mariners)
A few factors came into play here. You had the 7'1" Lonnie Knucks against a small frontcourt. Blue Coast's starting backcourt is made up of Vannish national team players. Nobody on the Blackhawks has any international experience. Hendorn put up 19 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. Fred Sokol went hot early and finished with 29 points, including 6 of 9 shooting from three point range. This was one of those games that just stayed out of range for Tremooty, the current #2 team in the Wrexish Basketball Organization. The Blue Coast Mariners are looking to invest in one or two more top level players, in an effort not only to win in their league, but in future cups. Their owner is a wealthy investor who is a part of the push to turn the city of Blue Coast into a tourist destination.

Record - Points
Davenson Doberman (2-0) 2 pt
Blue Coast Mariners (2-0) 2 pt
Emeros Zap (1-1) 1 pt
Tremooty Blackhawks (1-1) 1 pt
Auster Squall (1-1) 1 pts
Capital City Metro (1-1) 1 pt
Wrexwic Pirates (0-2) 0 pts
New Brook Firestorm (0-2) 0 pts

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 63–77 (Wrexwic Pirates)
These two teams came in the top three in ranking. Wrexwic had a better night on the boards and moved the ball around pretty well. Gravu put up 23 points, alongside 4 assists. Manny Battle scored 18 and had 11 rebounds. Battle's performance was especially impressive considering the talent of the opposing frontcourt. Auster's Frank Hurcle finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Halvorsen went 4 of 4 from three point range in a nice shooting display off the bench. Wrexwic took the lead early and held it.

(New Brook Firestorm) 67–61 (Emeros Zap)
This might be the biggest upset of the year. The lead went back and forth down to the wire. Steven Chilsen scored the last 5 points for the Firestorm, picking up 15 points off the bench. Emeros just couldn't get past the late game defense and folded under pressure. None of the national team's players had an impressive night. The Zap came out in exhibition mode, expecting an easy win while the Firestorm fought for the victory.

(Tremooty Blackhawks) 66–75 (Davenson Doberman)
Davenson rises to the top of the standings with their victory. Hennson and Focus ran the game, picking up 6 and 8 assists respectively. Borgsen dominated in the post, capitalizing off the guard's playcalling with 21 points. He also added 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. The Blackhawk's small frontcourt once again failed to get the job done, offensively or defensively. Quinton pitched in 15 points, 7 assists and 2 steals while filling in for Kev Forte, who sat out with the flu.

(Blue Coast Mariners) 66–76 (Capital City Metro)
The Metro didn't play as flashy of a game as the Mariners have become known for. But they played a solid game of basketball. The lead changed in the third quarter and Blue Coast never caught up. Jacobs and Simssen both pitched in 16 points. Chris Ironwrought had a quiet night with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Fred Sokol had an off night from the field, going 7 for 27. A higher percentage from him could have possibly turned the tides. The Metro won the second half battle of the boards, which was the final puzzle piece to this result.

Record - Points
Davenson Doberman (3-0) 3 pts
Blue Coast Mariners (2-1) 2 pts
Capital City Metro (2-1) 2 pts
Emeros Zap (1-2) 1 pt
Tremooty Blackhawks (1-2) 1 pt
Auster Squall (1-2) 1 pt
Wrexwic Pirates (1-2) 1 pt
New Brook Firestorm (1-2) 1 pt

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 77–66 (New Brook Firestorm)
Auster proved to be the better team by earning this convincing win. No analysts had really seen New Brook winning this match. Manny Lenden had a good night for the squall with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Gregssen dished out 8 assists. Tonier was helpful off the bench with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Julius Styles looked good for New Brook, scoring 17 and grabbing 8 boards. Steven Chilsen and the rest of the Firestorm had quiet nights, stifled by Auster's defense. Middleton gave away 4 turnovers.

(Tremooty Blackhawks) 71–68 (Wrexwic Pirates)
The WBO's #2 team showed they are competing for the cup by beating their conference rivals. Kev Forte put up 21 points, leading his team down the stretch. It was his play in the final 2 minutes that cinched the win. Traysen came away with 4 big steals. Weedston picked up 2 blocks. Gravu and Dawn both scored 15 for the Pirates. Jacob Mitchell missed a buzzer-beating three pointer off an inbound pass and screen play. A quiet Pirate frontcourt was the culprit for this result.

(Blue Coast Mariners) 79–64 (Emeros Zap)
Lonnie Knucks showed he is battling for a spot on the Vannish National Team. The Zap's starting forwards start internationally. Scouts will notice when Knucks confidentially scores 20, grabs 9 boards, gets a block and a steal against a team like the Zap. Jon Hectar looked weak out there, getting boxed out and shoved around. Some say the Zap could stand to have a deeper bench. Instead, they rely on a few top prospects at starter. National Team Captain Jon Jennsen admitted in an interview that his priority is to stay healthy for the upcoming international competition.

(Capital City Metro) 69–92 (Davenson Doberman)
Davenson put up another dominating performance. Focus, Hensson and Borgsen have really come together this tournament. They came off a hot season that saw them finish second in their conference. After this tournament, one can only expect them to do even better in the near future. Taye Leadwind picked up 5 assists in a 5 fourth quarter minutes. The Metro just seemed outplayed. Davenson won the battle of the boards and got more loose balls. Christopher Ironwrought picked up 16 for Capital City. He only grabbed 4 rebounds though in 25 minutes. Jolla Borgsen treated him like a rag doll. Vannish basketball is physical in the post.

Record - Points
Davenson Doberman (4-0) 4 pts
Blue Coast Mariners (3-1) 3 pts
Capital City Metro (2-2) 2 pts
Tremooty Blackhawks (2-2) 2 pts
Auster Squall (2-2) 2 pts
Emeros Zap (1-3) 1 pt
Wrexwic Pirates (1-3) 1 pt
New Brook Firestorm (1-3) 1 pt

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 82–73 (Blue Coast Mariners)
Hurcle and Lenden had a big game on the boards, combining for 22 rebounds. Handsen put up 17 points, including 3 three-pointers. The Squall played efficiently, moving the ball and controlling the clock. The game slowly drifted out of reach in the 4th quarter. Sokol missed a few shots down the stretch that hurt the Mariners, although he finished with 16 points. Knucks only scored 12, but grabbed 8 rebounds. Hurcle won the battle at center, a battle Knucks had become accustomed to winning. Lonnie still showed a lot of bright spots throughout the game.

(Capital City Metro) 69–64 (Tremooty Blackhawks)
The Metro took this one by way of clutch shooting. Avery had a hot 3rd quarter, Ironwrought lit up the fourth ending with 19 and 21 points respectively. Tremooty had led by 6 at halftime. Griers played some tight late defense, finishing with 3 steals and 2 blocks. Lamont Smith had a solid first half for the Blackhawks, but went quiet in the second, finishing with 16 points. Although the Blackhawks went cold in the second half, their defense kept them in the game until the last 3 minutes.

(Davenson Doberman) 81–82 (New Brook Firestorm)
Kris Middleton hit the free throws needed to gain the final lead. Davenson couldn't connect on their last play. Hank Navi had a few highlight plays, really working the post. He finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Matthews scored 17. Davenson gave Taye Leadwind more minutes than usual. The 5'11" guard went on a hot streak early and ended up with 16 points and 7 assists. Borgsen led Doberman scorers with 24.

(Emeros Zap) 105-98 (OT) (Wrexwic Pirates)
The media poll ranked Wrexwic two spots under Emeros, before this tournament. The Pirates forced OT. Both teams went shot for shot towards the end of the 4th quarter tying at 93-93. The Zap really turned it on in OT. Tony Gravu scored 27. Jennsen scored 25. Tomas Hannsen had two huge blocks down the stretch, which led to the Zap's final run. Yulssen tallied 11 assists, including a few nice passes from the lane. Tom Gravu, Tony's brother, scored 32 for the Pirates with 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Manny Battle finished with 19 points and 8 boards.

Record - Points
Davenson Doberman (4-1) 4 pts
Blue Coast Mariners (3-2) 3 pts
Capital City Metro (3-2) 3 pts
Auster Squall (3-2) 3 pts
Tremooty Blackhawks (2-3) 2 pts
Emeros Zap (2-3) 2 pts
New Brook Firestorm (2-3) 2 pts
Wrexwic Pirates (1-4) 1 pt

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 96–71 (Tremooty Blackhawks)
Hurcle and Lenden had a big night against the Blackhawks. Hurcle shut down the post, with 3 blocks and 2 steals. Lenden scored 19 and grabbed 9 rebounds. Handsen dropped 24 points and picked up 6 assists. Tremooty just couldn't keep up with Auster's shooting. The coach of the Squall said defense was the key to this win. Kev Forte led Tremooty's scoring with 17. The Blackhawks threw in their bench for the last 5 minutes. Tremooty's coach said the reason was to give them experience against a tough team.

(Blue Coast Mariners) 60–81 (New Brook Firestorm)
New Brook proved the coaches' rankings to be a little more accurate than the media rankings. The Firestorm took the lead late in the 2nd quarter and kept it. Chilsen had a solid night with 22 points, 8 assists and 3 steals. Julius Styles scored 16, grabbed 9 boards and had a block. The Mariners looked flat after the 1st quarter. Lonnie Knucks went 3 for 8 from the field. Fred Sokol lead Firestorm scoring with 13. The Mariners are not as deep as a lot of teams and their starters looked a bit tired tonight.

(Capital City Metro) 58–67 (Wrexwic Pirates)
Tom Gravu led the last place Pirates to this victory, scoring 21 and dishing out 6 assists. He also contributed 2 timely late steals to the defensive effort. Both teams went into the half tied. Manny Battle stepped up, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the second half. The ball seemed to move freely amongst the Pirates against lackluster Metro defense. Christopher Ironwrought sat out with a stomach illness. He is listed as day-to-day. The team seemed to lack a real post presence without him. J.T. Dredde picked up his minutes, but failed to make an impact.

(Davenson Doberman) 61–77 (Emeros Zap)
Emeros started this game with a 15-2 run. They clearly carried the momentum from their last win into this game. Yulssen led the early streak, scoring the first 10 points. Mark Focus had trouble containing him throughout the match. Yulssen ended up with 23 points and 8 assists. He really looked confident running the offense tonight. Jolla Borgsen managed 15 points and 9 rebounds. He was seen berating his team for their lack of effort late in the game. Hensson went cold early ended up on the bench for Madeson and Grass. Emeros proved they can beat the team that was ranked first in the tournament.

Record - Points
Davenson Doberman (4-2) 4 pts
Auster Squall (4-2) 4 pts
Blue Coast Mariners (3-3) 3 pts
Capital City Metro (3-3) 3 pts
Emeros Zap (3-3) 3 pts
New Brook Firestorm (3-3) 3 pts
Tremooty Blackhawks (2-4) 2 pts
Wrexwic Pirates (2-4) 2 pts

*Note - The standings box has not been adjusted for points difference, which will be used as a tiebreaker.

[Vangaziland]

(Auster Squall) 70–83 (Capital City Metro)
Auster failed to get a big win that could have placed them in the Cup Championship. Instead, they lost to the Metro, who just seemed to want it more. Capital City came out shooting. They went on an early run, led by Jackie Franks. The Squall made several runs of their own, but the Metro always responded in kind. They ran away with the last quarter. Franks finished with 19 points. Ironwrought scored 16 and grabbed 9 boards. Fred Jolla played solid defense, grabbing a few hustle plays and other intangibles. The Squall looked defeated after this match, slinking back to the loccer room with their heads down.

(Davenson Doberman) 76–57 (Blue Coast Mariners)
Davenson returned to the dominant form we caught a few glimpses of earlier in the tournament. It came down to defense. Six different Davenson players had at least one steal. Hensson scored 30 off of efficient shooting. Borgsen dominated the boards with 13 rebounds. Blue Coast's Tim French was the victim of Borgsen's ire in the post, allowing the Royals player to score 15. Sokol and Hendorn failed to make an impact, both scoring under 14. Hendorn, the starting PG, only found 6 assists. The Mariners' coach threw down his clipboard and left right after regulation ended, red with anger. Blue Coast leaves the tournament without any silverware.

(Emeros Zap) 79–77 (Tremooty Blackhawks)
This was another close game for Emeros. Tony Gravu hit the game winning shot at 1:31 with 2 seconds on the shot clock. It was off the inbound pass, just inside the 3 point line. The Blackhawks missed three shots that could have tied or taken the lead. David Sheek had a nice performance, with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. It was a nice contribution off the bench from a player who had been quiet in this tournament. Kev Forte scored 20 for Tremooty. The Blackhawks know they need to improve their frontcourt if they want to compete against these top teams. Center is an important position in Vannish basketball. The development of 7'0 rookie Pietre Petrovich is essential. They will also probably be looking to trade and bring a big name back to the Wrexish league. The Blackhawks did almost steal a win from the initially top projected team, however.

(Wrexwic Pirates) 85–80 (New Brook Firestorm)
The Pirates took away New Brook's chance to compete for third place. This was about Wrexish pride, the defending champions of their league and conference above Capital City and Tremooty. They played their up-tempo style and led much of the game. They did have a 16 point lead going into the 4th, which nearly dwindled away. Like Tremooty, they also play small ball. Their center played for the national team however and is a bit more experienced with this group, although the Pirates also failed to place. Tom Gravu scored 29, added 5 assists and 6 rebounds. Manny Battle also played well with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Dawkis ended up with 18 Firestorm points, 9 of them during the 4th quarter run. Denis Louk was manhandled in the 22 minutes that he was on the floor.

Record - Points - Scoring Difference
Davenson Doberman (5-2) 5 pts [+41]
Auster Squall (4-3) 4 pts [+26]
Emeros Zap (4-3) 4 pts [-1]
Capital City Metro (4-3) 4 pts [-8]

New Brook Firestorm (3-4) 3 pts*
Wrexwic Pirates (3-4) 3 pts*
Blue Coast Mariners (3-4) 3 pts*
Tremooty Blackhawks (2-5) 2 pts*

*=Scoring Difference Not Applied

Next Up
Cup Championship: Davenson vs Auster
Third Place Battle: Emeros vs Capital City

[Vangaziland]

(Davenson Doberman) 67–79 (Auster Squall)
This game took awhile to get revved up. The 1st quarter was a low-scoring, closely contested affair. Nobody got hot early. Scoring picked up in the 2nd. Botun scored 11 of his 15 in the second. Auster went on a 12-2 run in the last few minutes before halftime. Jolla Borgsen started things off in the 3rd, scoring on 3 post plays in a row for Davenson. It looked like they were getting back into the game. But this was when the game began to really take off for Auster. Center Frank Hurcle stepped up his defensive presence and post scoring dried up for the Doberman.
Auster fought hard at the boards and began to seriously outrebound Davenson. Auster's leading scorer was Julius Handsen with 21. Lenden added 15 points. Hurcle ended up with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Jolla Borgsen led Davenson with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Taye Leadwind drew a few cheers from the crowd with a brilliant crossover move that caused Nate Masters to lose his balance and fall. 5'11" Leadwind drove to the basket, sending up a quick rainbow floater from the top of the key, which banked in off the backboard. In the end, Auster just had Davenson under their defensive grip.
The Squall took over the game and won the Emperor's Basketball Cup. The coaching staff and team stood in a line, while the Emperor himself gave a speech. Security was extra tight as Vangaziland's Head of State presented the Cup and shook the hands of both the first and second place teams. Several basketball players could not hold back their tears as they had a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the somewhat reclusive Emperor. Both teams received a banner that will be displayed in their arenas. Auster also gets to display the Cup until next year.

(Emeros Zap) 70–92 (Capital City Metro)
The Metro came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. The crowd cheered wildly as they started the game with a 15-6 run. Emeros never seemed to catch up. The Zap are defending champions of their league, the VBL, which is one of three leagues represented in this tournament. The Metro entered as the number 2 team of another league, the WBO, between the Pirates (#1) and Tremooty (#3). This was a battle between Vangaziland and the nation of Wrexwic. Christopher Ironwrought picked up 31 minutes tonight. He put himself on the map, scoring 34 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists and getting 1 block. It may have been the most exciting performance of the entire tournament.
The Metro showed they are a serious force in comparison to their Vannish counterparts. This was their first chance to play teams across the channel. And they performed! The Metro beat the Squall in their last round robin match. The Squall are the defending champions of their own conference, the OVB. The Metro figured out the Zap's plans and limited Yulssen to just 5 assists. All the passing lanes were shut down by a pressing defense that stayed turned up throughout the 2nd Half. This led to isolation plays for Jennsen, who just couldn't quite get himself open enough.
Both teams got to shake the Emperor's hand after his speech. Only the Metro will receive a banner to bring back to their arena, showcasing their third place finish in the tournament.

The Aftermath
Teams 1 through 4 will be assigned an "Emperor's Ranking" based on their final finish. Teams 5 through 8 will be unranked. Media and Coaches polls will rank them according to projections based on their regular seasons.

1. Auster Squall
2. Davenson Doberman
3. Capital City Metro
4. Emeros Zap