IBC 19 - Everything Thread

[Drawkland]

DRAWKLAND NATIONAL SPORTS NETWORK

That's a wrap, folks.

With the crippling loss of 75-78 tonight, Drawkland has officially lost out on a spot in the finals. Technically, they are still in the running, as the teams ahead only have one additional win over the Net Corp, but realistically, there's no chance for your basketball Drawkians to make the cut for the Round of 16.

Coach Morgan on the situation:
"I believe the team worked hard. Except for the debacle with San Jose Guayabal, we had a very good tournament. We have one last game, against Saint Kanye, our fellow unrated. Win or Lose, we'll either go out with a bang before our Bye on the final week, or give our rankless friends a better shot for making their mark on IBC history. I know that the boys and girls of the Net Corp agree with me. No matter the result tomorrow night, I think we'll have a blast. I've met with some of the Saint Kanye people and they're good people. So to give a final farewell to the Net Corp at the IBC, every Drawkian who's able should be at this game tomorrow for the extra cheer in the stands. If anything, we can at least make this game fun for the fans and the players as well."

Analyst Hall on our standings:
"It's a mighty shame the Net Corp didn't perform as hoped: we had hoped to get the bottom spot for the Round of 16 and have above a tying record. But as it looks now, it seems we'll be at a tying record at best, and surely no playoffs spot.
Drawkland did well against the worst unrated and the best rated, ironically, but lost it to the other 3 rated teams. So, for you still insistent on betting for Drawkland's favor, the Saint Kanye game will be a toss-up for sure. Drawkland has done well against both unrated and usually high-performing teams, which the Saint Kanye "Surge" is both. Odds are about an even 50-50. With a packed crowd expected tomorrow night, the hype will certainly be in our favor, but our team seems to be really bipolar. All I can say is, it's a total coin flip. Fate can only guess at tomorrow night's result."

The Net Corp will remain for the playoffs and cheer on their favorite teams from the stands, among the Drawkian Fans Pep Band, more for fun than anything, after having merriment and such on their Bye night 2 nights from today. Most citizens are advised to head home after the first game of the playoffs, in order to avoid the rush of exiting and entering fans of losing and winning teams, respectively.

[Saint Kanye]

THE KARDASHIA KIBITZER

SURGE'S NEXT TWO GAMES BOTH MUST-WINS, DRAWKLAND GAME ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL

by Maria Muller

The St. Kanye Surge's road to the International Basketball Championships 19 playoffs just got tougher.

Equestrian States (3-1) trotted to the top spot in Group D with a close win over Drawkland, 78-75. Behind them are San Jose Guayabal (3-2), who despite getting beaten by the Kanyeans three days ago boast a +39 quotient, and Britonisea (3-1), engineers of the 66-67 heartbreaker the Surge experienced on the first day of the competition.

St. Kanye (2-2) is among five nations still in the running to go 4-2, and, if they maintain a high quotient (currently +21), would most likely grab a place in the top two. To do that they must work their way through the Drawkians (2-3), who have the clear advantage in height, and not take the winless, already-eliminated Pinoyistanis lightly. They would then finish either first or second in the group, depending on whether the Equestrians or Britoniseans reach 5-1 and whether they finish with a better record or quotient than the Guayabalenses. It would be a problem if the Surge settle for 3-3, since they'd need only one team to surpass that (5-1 or 4-2), that huge quotient to stay just behind that team, and in case the only other team to go 3-3 is Drawkland, the win over the giants to sneak past them on head-to-head.

After only three hours of taking in the sights of Campo Grande city, the Surge started practice at noon today. Then they headed to Coliseo de Oriente stadium to watch all the Group D games and scout their players and strategies.

"We were wrong in thinking that the Drawkians were all seven-footers", center Jason Morrigan said. "They also have an eight [8'1" guard James Kennedy]. The only seven on our team is me. We'd have to rely mostly on our speed and outside shooting to avoid the Net Corp's immense defense." Coach Paulie Brewster was hinting at a change in the starting lineup for tomorrow's game, and rumor has it that "J-Mo", at 7'3", will be tapped in place of Billy Forrest at the five spot for some added size.

Gambling website UBetcha.stk pegged the purple and lime at 45-55 against Drawkland. Interestingly, news sources from the land of giants put them at an even 50-50 against their boys (and girls).

All of St. Kanye's games in the International Basketball Championships will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and online at http://www.skynet.stk/12-sports/ibc-19.

[Gim]

"Watchers of WATV 8 News, this is the end of our current affairs news. We will now turn you towards WATV Sports."


Camera switches to WATV Sports with Anchorwoman Jo Jin Ri standing in the center of the WAT Sports platform.


Jo Jin Ri speaks:

"Hello, I'm Jo Jin Ri for WATV Sports. Fourth match for Gim and the most suspenseful and difficult one as they get to face Ko-oren that is ranked No.1 in the tournament. Now, Gim has not a pleasant history with Ko-oren. There is no personal conflict between the two teams; however, Gim has been elimiated by Ko-oren both in World Cup of Hockey and Cup of Harmony Tournament(Football), respectively in Round Robin and Round of 16. Will the Gimians finally be able to defeat the Ko-orenites? Let's find out."

Camera shows Gimian and Ko-orenite players entering the basketball field.

"Ko-orenites. Putting in their top male players to counter the speed and strength of the Gimian players. 1st quarter. Ko-oren up 18-8. Gimian center, Byun Do Won, dribbles the ball towards the Ko-orenite zone,veers to the left, and then, all of a sudden, veers to the right, shoots the ball from just outside the Ko-orenite zone, and scores!(0:32-0:39) Ko-oren still up 18-11."

Camera shows Ko-orenite players attacking in the Gimian zone.

"Ko-oren leading 42-34 in 2nd quarter. Ko-orenite center, Milton Hayes, drives the ball towards the center of the Gimian zone, passes back to an open Ambrosio Guillermo, and Guillermo shoots from within the Gimian zone, and scores. Ko-oren leading by ten: 44-34."

Camera shows Gimian players attacking in the Ko-orenite zone.

"3rd quarter. All of a sudden, Gim is only trailing by three points. 69-67. Gimian forward, Ban Yeung Hoon, dribbles the ball from left to right within the Ko-orenite zone, passes to Byun Do Won, who stays just outside the Ko-orenite zone. He dribbles the ball from left, then veering to the right, shoots from outside the Ko-orenite zone, and scores(0:39-0:45). Gim leading slightly by one: 70-69."

Camera shows Ko-orenite players attacking in the Gimian zone.

"4th quarter. Ko-oren leading again 90-78. Ko-orenite center, Milton Hayes, drives the ball towards the left of the net, and then passes to an open Leandro Buenaventura. Buenaventura does a layup, and it's 92-78 for the Ko-orenites."

Camera shows Gimian and Ko-orenite players shaking hands.

"Gim faces its first loss of the tournament, although they have played well against a team that is ranked first in the multiverse. An unranked team to battle fiercely and tactically against the best basketball team is definitely something for which to be applauded. 94-83 Final for Ko-oren."

[Abanhfleft]

Canalave Iconic Arena
Canalave, Valladares

It was a decision that Abdul Halim bin Osman nearly regretted making.

After the controversial technical foul call on Leo Baxter in the game against Derpaslakkdff, Osman had decided to take Leo out of the starting lineup for the game against The Serbian Empire, "to let his head cool off," so to speak. It almost proved to be Abanhfleft's undoing in that game.

Eldred Rogerson was named the starting point guard for the game. And his aging body was not really able to keep up with today's speedy and energetic players, a fact which belied his training as a placid playmaker with only a big body and court vision as his strengths. Another reason why he was now just a bench player and not a regular starter in both his FBA team and the national team. There were already rumors that this would be his last outing with the Rebolusyonaryos, a retirement from international basketball already in the works.

His opponents took advantage of Rogerson's "inexperience" as a floor general and ran away with a 14-9 lead just six minutes into the first quarter through constant man to man defense and pressure on Rogerson, who was unable to cope. At the end of the quarter, Abanhfleft was down 17-25, and Osman then made the decision to bring in Timofey Ipatiev. It worked, to a certain extent. Ipatiev was a player of the modern game and knew how to defend himself and get himself out of double-team situations.

It took a lot of work, but Abanhfleft was able to make up the deficit, and they even managed to go on a 12-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to give them the lead over their opponents, and while the Serbians clawed their way back, the Rebolusyonaryos were able to keep them at arm's length, and the game ended 75-69 in favor of the Fleftics.

Leo Baxter watched it all from the comfort of his hotel room. He had no doubt that his Rebolusyonaryos would be able to win, but boy were those first two quarters really the butt clencher. He could feel his sphincter tighten up during those two quarters, and it didn't really loosen up until Abanhfleft went on that 12-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter. Then he was really able to relax and watch his team cruise to victory, albeit after a quite bumpy road.

Leo turned off the TV with the remote and leaned back, closing his eyes to take a nap. The excitement of the game had left him tired both physically and mentally, and he needed some rest before he took care of some... personal matters.

But unfortunately for him it seemed as if the world wasn't ready to let him rest yet, as his cellphone rang, and he picked it up to look at the caller to see if he could ignore it without consequence. It was an unknown number, so he dismissed the call and closed his eyes once again. And once again his cellphone rang. It was the same unknown number that had called him before, and whoever was calling him was somehow convinced that he or she really wanted to call Leonidas Baxter, so he answered the call and said, "Listen here man, or lady, or whoever you are, you've got the wrong number--"

"I am sure that I have the right number, Anfernee Leonidas James Baxter," a distorted and metallic voice replied, and Leo was jolted right awake, both by the quality of the voice and the person's knowledge of his full name. "Who are you and how did you get my number?" he asked.

"That is not important to you," the voice replied. "There is something big going on within the camp of Ko-oren, a campaign against Juliet Shillington, and you've been caught up in the mess."

"Wait a minute," Leo said. "How can you possibly know about all this? I mean, I know that my 'non-date' with Shillington was all over the papers and media last IBC, but how can you possibly know that there is a campaign against Shillington? And why would you care anyway?"

"All the answers to your questions are none of your concern," the voice told him. "All you need to know is that your life might be in danger. It would serve you well to watch your back. Your life may depend on it."

Leo looked on at his phone dumbstruck as the mysterious person at the other end ended the call. Now things were really spiraling out of control. What had started as an innocent rumor had turned into a life-threatening situation for him, at least as far as his mysterious caller was concerned. But it was so alien and weird a thought that he couldn't hang on to it for long, and he slipped himself back to bed in an effort to get some sleep once again. This time there were no interruptions, and Leo fell asleep without any trouble. But his dreams were far from peaceful. In it, he dreamed about gunshots and foot chases and Mexican standoffs, and he felt like he was about to enter a cheap action movie. And it wasn't as good as it sounded.

[Ko-oren]

Injury woes and starter surprises

The basketball season has been long over, but as you know, we have our national team to defend our pride worldwide now. The Dragonflies took on Gim yesterday in the IBC in Valladares. Gim, until yesterday with us on three and oh, a team we have not met often in any sport but still a nation we respect. To the 'golden boys' of Gim, the game started as the referee signalled for the start of the first quarter and the clock started counting down, but to us, the game started about 30 minutes earlier. In a late pre-game press conference the head coach of the Union dropped two bombs. Figuratively.

The first was that there would be an all-male team starting for Ko-oren, something that hasn't happened for almost 70 official international games. The reasoning was that the explosiveness of the male players was much needed to counter the physical abilities of the Gimians. In retrospect, it worked as an opening strategy, with Ko-oren going 18-8 at one point in the first half before the first substitutions. Then again, it might also be that the Gimians prepared for the regular starting five and they were met by a different group of players they didn't expect to see. Later in the game, female players made their minutes as usual and it all balanced out, but the all-male statement was a surprising one.

The second was that Juliet Shillington would be benched all game. No females in the starting five also meant the bench for our starting point guard, but on top of that the decision to keep her out of the game was made as well. Amy Janssen was the main point guard of the game apart from the first ten minutes with the all-male combination. Juliet Shillington was said to be injured for her to miss the game. Nothing of that injury showed the day before during practice. Nothing of that injury was apparent just hours before the game as the team arrived at the stadium. When the team left the arena, Shillington was injured, supporting herself with crutches.

In all honesty, Gim, as a new nation, has made some impact and kept the current 'Silver' team of the IBC to under 100 points. Which is not very shocking, as Ko-oren only breaks the 100 once every so many games. Gim scored 83, with Byun Do Won as a centre wreaking havoc on the Ko-orenite defence like not many other players can. He wormed his way past the blocking, got rebounds and high success rate shots, and showed some ball skills not many centres can pull off.

[Vangaziland]

Vangaziland won this time around with a score of 98-64. It was a confident performance that didn't quite seem to trouble the Royals. They were favored to win against an unranked team. The Royals turned on the pressure and didn't let up, keeping the game out of reach.

Hectare Yulssen did a good job of running the offense. The ball flowed through him. It would either get down to the post or out to another guard. The centers went back to the basket, either opting to turn and shoot or pass it back out to the wing.

"Vannish basketball should be known for having tough centers", Lonnie Knucks said. "I just want to contribute to that legacy." 7'1" Knucks has added more depth to the position whereas Frank Hurcle was always more of a defensive threat.

"We knew we had to shut down the lane", Hurcle said. "If we backed down, they'd be at risk of pulling off an upset. Tonight, we looked real focused."

Yulssen ended up with 13 assists. Three Vannish players scored over 20. Handsen scored 22, Jennsen and Fulborg scored 21. Hurcle grabbed 9 rebounds, Knucks grabbed 10. All in all, it was a game that really came together.

The ball moved fluidly through the hands of the Royals. The forwards pushed the ball ahead, running screens for each other and driving to the basket. The center would draw his defenders out, allowing Jennsen and Fulborg a chance at the lane.

Yulssen scored 9 points, but gathered 10 assists. Between the centers posting up, the forwards cutting to the basket and the guards setting up shots off screens, the Vannish point guard had a full array of targets.

Christopher Ironwrought was quiet, scoring only 8 points alongside 7 rebounds and a block.

"I don't have to score every game on this team. Tonight I focused on defense and moving off the ball. I set a couple of good screens, two of them led to three-pointers."

"If we played like this every game, we could really get somewhere", assistant coach Kate Foyelson said. "Since I've been here, I've seen this team start to come together. Hopefully, the guys will take this momentum and let it carry them through the group stage."

Jon Hendorn finished out the last six minutes of the game. He appeared to be focused more on dishing as opposed to swishing the ball. He's been known as a shoot first kind of point guard.

"I was happy", Hendorn said. "Picked up a few late game assists. I could get used to that, passing the ball."

Jolla Borgsen led the defensive effort of the second unit, ending up with 3 steals and 2 blocks. He sweltered the opposing offense, pressing his mark and forcing turnovers.

"We have shown some real bright spots, beating one of the top ten teams", said Coach Tomasson at the press conference. "But we need to knuckle down and win games like this against underdogs. Tonight the team didn't underestimate anyone."

The Royals shot at a higher percentage, making shots that they had missed in some of the earlier matches.

[Ficiscia]

FNSN.fc Basketball: Four team stars leave Valladares

After another high loss against Vaugania, coach Urbanius Vero announced that the team stars Andrinus Rectus, Michal Rasukas, Demas Harnijevs and Kyrillos Pacorus have left Valladares and flew off to Centralis, Electrum where they will join the Olympic team. The rest os the squad might follow after tonight's final game about Kaboomlandia. The expected lineup for Ficiscia is: Astrius - Ianicios - Hephastos - Decorus - Cantrapas.

[The Andromeda Islands]

Coliseo de Oriente
Campo Grande, Valladares
Wednesday, July 25
4:20 pm

With two minutes left in the third quarter, the Eagles are only up 50-47. The stands are largely empty, aside from a few die-hard basketball fans and Andromedans sitting behind their bench.

Coach Gooden stalks the sidelines, frustrated. He had hoped to have a much larger lead at this point. Coach Peterson looks down the bench. He sees Rita Gomez watching the game intently, animated by the ebb and flow of the game. Peterson walks up to Gooden.

PETERSON: Put Gomez in.

Gooden thinks for a second, then nods. Peterson turns to Gomez.

PETERSON: Gomez, you’re in for Hurley.

Gomez and Becky Westchester are in the back court. In front are PJ Hardwick, Dan Stuckey and Shaniqua Watson. Watson replaced Tommy Egan, who was ejected from the game earlier in the second quarter.

Westchester passes the ball to Gomez, who makes a touch pass to Dan Stuckey who wrong-foots the Pinoyan center for an easy lay-up.

Al Gooden thinks much more of Norm Peterson after seeing the last play. He thinks even more of Peterson after the next play. Shaniqua Watson steals the ball, passes it to Westchester. Before the Andromedans get into their offensive set. Westchester passes to Gomez behind the three point line. Gomez shoots. The Eagles are up 55-47.

----------

4:50 pm

At this point, Gooden calls for wholesale substitutions. Helena Press replaces Dan Stuckey at Center. Fawn Hopkins replaces Watson. Maria Rivera, Farah Pahlavi and Holly Rosener replace Becky Westchester, Rita Gomez and PJ Hardwick. The Eagles are up 74-62 with a minute left and will conclude the game with a three guard offense.

Gomez leaves the game with 15 points, shooting 5-for-7 from the field. She made all three of her shots behind the three point arc.

Gomez sits next to John Knox on the bench as play resumes.

GOMEZ: So, you think we can still make it out of Group?

Knox thinks for a moment. There’s just under a minute. Holly Rosener makes what appears to be an errant shot. Fawn Hopkins grabs an offensive rebound and forces the ball in over a taller Pinoyan player.

KNOX: It can be done, but we’ll need some help.

After the Pinoyans make a last layup, Farah Pahlavi dribbles the ball down court as time expires. She closes her eyes and smiles hears the hears the otherwise loud, shrill sound of the horn that signifies the Eagles’ second victory.

FINAL SCORE: ANDROMEDA 76-65 Pinoyistan

----------

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Age: 28
Team: Portsmouth Lady Pirates
Height: 5’7”
Season Stats: 19.2 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.1 spg

One of the most exciting female players in the Allied States, Margarita Gomez has been among the top shooting guards for most of her 10 year career. She also led the Portsmouth Pirates to the Women’s Title four years ago.

Gomez is one of the few female players to go pro directly out of high school. She is a graduate of the Andromeda Navy’s Secondary Education Program.

[Saint Kanye]

St. Kanye's premier gambling website UBetcha.stk is proud to bring you the odds of every Matchday 6 game.

0-100 to 30-70 Heavy underdogs
31-69 to 40-60 Underdogs
41-59 to 49-51 Slight underdogs
50-50 Even
51-49 to 59-41 Slight favorites
60-40 to 69-31 Favorites
70-30 to 100-0 Heavy favorites

Group A:

Valladares 46-54 Semarland
NN Aqmuland 70-30 Jesushorse*
Banguela 58-42 Chromatika*

*Eliminated.

Group B:

Nova Anglicana 85-15 Andromedan WAT*
Ethane* 33-67 Levivania
Flardania 85-15 Bongo Johnson*

*Eliminated.

Group C:

Cosumar 48-52 Nueva Andalusia
Noksentin 45-55 Elejamie
Halfblakistan* 35-65 Natanians and Nosts

*Eliminated.

Group D:

The Andromeda Islands 40-60 Britonisea
Equestrian States 75-25 Pinoyistan*
St. Kanye 45-55 Drawkland

*Eliminated.

Group E:

Ko-oren 75-25 The Boatia
Pulunia* 17-83 Gim
US Devonta 32-68 The Sword Bloke

*Eliminated.

Group F:

Abanhfleft 63-37 United Vietussia*
Vangaziland 55-45 The Serbian Empire
Silvacometopia 59-41 Derpsadaslkkf*

*Disqualified.

Group G:

RK Quebec 60-40 Outworld
Vaugania 52-48 Kirisaki
Kaboomlandia 58-42 Ficiscia

Group H:

Electrum 35-65 Valanora
Sioux Lookout 35-65 Magehold
San Llera* 39-61 Filopines

*Eliminated.

[Valladares]

Matchday 6, 2 games to go. Are you ready for this RP cutoff?

---

International Basketball Championships 19 - Matchday 6

Group A
Valladares 70–68 Semarland
New North Aqmuland 75–83 Jesushorse
Banguela 78–81 Chromatika

Group A                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts
1 Valladares                    5   5  0  428 368 +60   15 Q
2 Semarland                     5   4  1  386 304 +82   12 Q
3 Chromatika                    6   3  3  461 492 −31    9 E
4 Banguela                      5   2  3  378 376  +2    6 E
5 Jesushorse                    5   2  3  372 409 −37    6 E
6 New North Aqmuland            5   2  3  390 410 −20    6 E
7 Britenia                      5   0  5  342 398 −56    0 E

Group B
Nova Anglicana 91–63 Andromedan WAT
Ethane 80–77 Levivania
Flardania 71–75 Bongo Johnson

Group B                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                5   5  0  420 351 +69   15 Q
2 Frenline Delpha               5   4  1  406 355 +51   12
3 Flardania                     5   3  2  417 373 +44    9
4 Ethane                        5   2  3  376 429 −53    6 E
5 Levivania                     5   2  3  399 407  −8    6 E
6 Andromedan WAT                5   1  4  355 401 −46    3 E
7 Bongo Johnson                 6   1  5  427 484 −57    3 E

Group C
Cosumar 80–73 Nueva Andalusia
Noksentin 77–87 Elejamie
Halfblakistan 70–91 Natanians and Nosts

Group C                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                       5   4  1  381 367 +14   12
2 Nueva Andalusia               5   4  1  367 330 +37   12
3 Elejamie                      5   3  2  391 367 +24    9
4 Natanians and Nosts           6   3  3  468 437 +31    9 E
5 Zovorossia                    5   2  3  347 383 −36    6 E
6 Noksentin                     5   2  3  390 400 −10    6 E
7 Halfblakistan                 5   0  5  348 408 −60    0 E

Group D
The Andromeda Islands 93–85 Britonisea
Equestrian States 70–78 Pinoyistan
Saint Kanye 75–69 Drawkland

Group D                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Saint Kanye                   5   3  2  367 340 +27    9
2 The Andromeda Islands         5   3  2  394 378 +16    9
3 Equestrian States             5   3  2  352 361  −9    9
4 San José Guayabal             5   3  2  397 358 +39    9
5 Britonisea                    5   3  2  369 386 −17    9
6 Drawkland                     6   2  4  441 461 −20    6 E
7 Pinoyistan                    5   1  4  348 384 −36    3 E

Group E
Ko-oren 95–78 The Boatia
Pulunia 78–74 Gim
United States of Devonta 62–66 The Sword Bloke

Group E                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                       5   5  0  424 349 +75   15 Q
2 The Sword Bloke               6   4  2  484 465 +19   12
3 Gim                           5   3  2  410 361 +49    9
4 The Boatia                    5   2  3  368 397 −29    6 E
5 Jacobandia                    5   2  3  369 409 −40    6 E
6 United States of Devonta      5   1  4  362 389 −27    3 E
7 Pulunia                       5   1  4  359 406 −47    3 E

Group F
Abanhfleft 77–64 United Vietussia
Vangaziland 77–60 The Serbian Empire
Silvacometopia 69–90 Derpsadaslkkf

Group F                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    5   4  1  428 382 +46   12
2 Omerica                       5   3  2  375 375   0    9
3 Vangaziland                   5   3  2  404 362 +42    9
4 United Vietussia              5   2  3  402 404  −2    6 DSQ
5 Derpsadaslkkf                 6   2  4  469 511 −42    6 DSQ
6 The Serbian Empire            5   2  3  379 374  +5    6
7 Silvacometopia                5   2  3  389 438 −49    6

Group G
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 101–73 Outworld
Vaugania 89–76 Kirisaki
Kaboomlandia 58–92 Ficiscia

Group G                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Ficiscia                      6   3  3  466 422 +44    9
2 Kaboomlandia                  5   3  2  372 366  +6    9
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       5   3  2  402 414 −12    9
4 Vaugania                      5   3  2  445 387 +58    9
5 Kirisaki                      5   3  2  402 413 −11    9
6 Welcomzia                     5   2  3  406 429 −23    6
7 Outworld                      5   1  4  351 413 −62    3 E

Group H
Electrum 75–55 Valanora
Sioux Lookout 87–73 Magehold
San Llera 71–74 Filopines

Group H                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Electrum                      5   4  1  394 367 +27   12
2 Valanora                      5   4  1  384 351 +33   12
3 Magehold                      5   3  2  394 384 +10    9
4 Filopines                     6   3  3  477 432 +45    9 E
5 HUElavia                      5   2  3  352 413 −61    6 E
6 Sioux Lookout                 5   2  3  350 362 −12    6 E
7 San Llera                     5   0  5  338 380 −42    0 E

[Gim]

"Watchers of WATV 8 News, this is the end of our current affairs news. We will now turn you towards WATV Sports."


Camera switches to WATV Sports with Anchorwoman Jo Jin Ri standing in the center of the WAT Sports platform.


Jo Jin Ri speaks:

"Hello, I'm Jo Jin Ri for WATV Sports. Fifth match of the Round Robin against an unranked team, Pulunia. How did the game go? Well, I cannot say much without giving you a spoiler. Therefore, I will just lead you to the match highlights. Here we go.

Camera switches to an aerial view of the football field.

"Gim, coming to today's match with a loss to Ko-oren. First quarter. Gim up 18-14. Byun Do Won, Gimian player, shoots a long ball from just outside the Pulunian zone. That is a good one, and Gim leads 21-14."

Camera switches to Pulunians attacking within the Gimian zone.

"2nd quarter. Pulunian player dribbles the ball from left to right, penetrating not one, but two Gimian defensemen, and successfully putting a ball by a layup into the net. All of a sudden, game is tied at 38."

Camera switches to Pulunians attacking within the Gimian zone.

"3rd quarter. Pulunian defenseman pushing on the face of Byun Do Won. Byun falls down and appears injured. He leaves the match temporarily. While he is away, substitute center, So In Hwan, plays. Pulunian forwards, however, sets up an alley-oop, and two points are awarded to them. They are leading 59-57."

Camera switches to Gimians attacking within the Pulunian zone.

"4th quarter. Pulunia up 74-68. Byun Do Won comes back into play, and he sets himself in an unguarded left side of the Pulunian zone. Gimian forward, Ban Yeung Hoon, passes to a wide, open Byun. Byun shoots a three-pointer, and it is good. Gim just trailing by three: 74-71. However, Gim would come up short, losing to Pulunia 78-74."

Camera switches to Gimian players shaking hands with Pulunian players.

"Gim loses this match, and they are now 3-2, meaning they would absolutely need to win the next match, while hoping for Sword Bloke, the current second-place team in Group E, to lose, in order to advance into the knockout stages."

[Vaugania]

EVERYTHING IS A MESS. WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING?

Heading into the final matchday of IBC 19's group stage, five of the seven teams in Group G are tied at 9 points. Presently, an unranked team, Ficiscia, sits atop the standings and will have a bye on matchday 7. The team in 6th place, Welcomzia, can still make it into the top two and advance to the Round of 16. Everything is very confusing.

Thankfully, this means the Scarlets still have an okay-ish chance (we think) at advancing (maybe). They are currently 4th in the group table. Though they have 3 wins, it seems that their wins may have come against the wrong teams. Unfortunately, their fate is not in their own hands. Fortunately, their end of the bargain is fairly easy: beat Outworld. Outworld is the only team who cannot advance by any means. They have won a single game and that was against fellow newcomer Welcomzia and that has likely dashed the former group leader's chances at advancement. The Scarlets should be up to that task and will be sitting on 12 points and an advancement spot depending on the outcome of two other games.

In addition to the Vaugania-Outworld game, games will be played between the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and Welcomzia, and Kirisaki and Kabloomlandia. In order to pass through, the Scarlets would need a win by either Welcomzia or Kirisaki. If Welcomzia wins, then Vaugania would be ahead of both them and Quebec on points. The other person passing through would be the winner of Kabloomlandia-Kirisaki. The only difference the outcome of that game would make would be whether or not the Scarlets are first. If Kirisaki and Quebec win, then Vaugania would be level on points with both of them and advance due to Kirisaki's 0-2 record among the three.

Alternatively, there is still a way for the Scarlets to advance without winning. It would require wins by both Welcomzia and Kabloomlandia. Kabloomlandia would be granted the top spot because they would be the only team with 12 points. The second spot would then go to head-to-head record among the 5 teams that would be tied. In games against Quebec, Kirisaki, Welcomzia, and Ficiscia, Vaugania is 3-1. Ficiscia has at least two losses. Kirisaki also has at least two losses. Welcomzia also has lost at least twice to those teams. Finally, Quebec has lost to only Ficiscia, but with a margin of loss so large, they would likely not prevail in the head-to-head point difference category, thus allowing the Scarlets to advance.

Have fun, everyone.

[Saint Kanye]

THE KARDASHIA KIBITZER

SURGE OVERCOME NET CORP SIZE ADVANTAGE, BOOST IBC PLAYOFF CHANCES

by Dante Dinkley

CAMPO GRANDE - After the St. Kanye Surge fell to Equestrian States two nights ago and dropped to 2-2, they figured that they have to work harder to become one of the two teams in their group to advance to the Round of 16 in the International Basketball Championships 19. They have to trade some leisure time for extra practice during bye day. They have to do everything they could to beat the Drawkland Net Corp, a team of seven-footers "and an eight", center Jason Morrigan reminds us. They have... done it. The extra practice paid off. The score was 75-69, purple and lime.

It was a very entertaining game. The Kanyeans and Drawkians entered opposite sides of the Coliseo de Oriente stadium and were greeted by the deafening sound of fans shouting their lungs out, clapping, stomping, beating on plastic bottles and small drums. 3,146 were from the land of the Surge; the Net Corp's countrymen also numbered a few thousand.

Drawkian center Gerald Madison had no problem winning the jump ball from his counterpart "J-Mo", being a full three inches closer to the sky than the Kanyean center was (they were 7'6" and 7'3", respectively). He threw immediately to the "eight" that Morrigan was talking about, 8'1" guard James Kennedy, who sprinted to the basket and made a layup despite being guarded by three Surge members. 2-0 Drawkland. Kennedy would score at will during the opening quarter, making all of the Net Corp's first ten points. The score was 14-5 Drawkland, 6:23 remaining in the quarter, when the Surge burned their first timeout. Immediately out of the timeout, Kanyean co-captain James Blackwell threw a shot from a full two feet beyond the three-point line, which bounced off the left rim and went in. This shot served to fire the Surge up, and they would catch up to the Drawkians with more outside shots from "Jimmy B", Frederic "Trick Shot" Trichet, and even one from Morrigan that made them grab the lead for the first time, 24-23 St. Kanye, at the end of the first quarter.

Morrigan was rested for the second quarter. The Net Corp capitalized on this, stopped the Surge's run, and retook the lead, 33-32 Drawkland, on a close jumper by Clara Vandertrump (6'11", but with her hair up, it didn't matter). Morrigan's replacement, original starter Billy Forrest, was whistled for his second foul and benched, and the Surge's third center Lester Smith was brought in. Smith was renowned for his thunderous blocks, but struggled against the Net Corp and their height. It was them who made a run this time as the half ended 43-37 Drawkland.

The third quarter was a dunk fest. Adrian Page opened the scoring for the final twenty minutes with an alley-oop from Blackwell. At 6:15, Kennedy rushed past a defending Forrest and slammed the ball in with one hand. 49-44 Drawkland, including the free throw resulting from Forrest's third foul. At 4:21, Trichet flew by and posterized Net Corp backup center Hailey Rider with a tomahawk jam to tie the game at 53. This quarter ended with the Surge clinging to a small lead, 58-56 St. Kanye.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter. Forrest got his fifth foul and was ejected at 3:06 of the fourth. He had seven points, six rebounds, an assist, and a block. Morrigan came back, and not wanting to miss out on the dunk party, slipped past Madison for a two-handed slam, 68-63 St. Kanye. Drawkland responded with a four-point play by Kennedy. Some traded baskets, and the score is 72-69 St. Kanye with 1:09 to go. Timeout Drawkland. The ball gets inbounded to Autumn Trallen, but pesky defense from Cedric Philips and Mikael Larsson causes Trallen to step out of bounds. St. Kanye ball, and timeout. Looking to increase the lead, the Surge go to Morrigan, whose shot gets denied by Grant Hopkins. 0:52 to go. The Net Corp try to get the ball to Kennedy just away from the action, but the pass is intercepted by Blackwell. Mary Herriford jumps up to defend what could be a three by "Jimmy B". But it's a fake, and Blackwell passes to the right corner to Larsson, who makes the three, 0:33 to go. 75-69 St. Kanye, and the Net Corp uses up its final timeout. They try for a three, but Kennedy's shot goes wide right. They still get the rebound and try again, but Trallen's try from center bounces out. Tip-in attempt by Madison, but drops the ball. Darren Overton gets it, and the Surge spend the final 23 seconds passing the ball around, until the ball gets back to Overton during the last second. He throws it up, but misses. But it doesn't matter. The St. Kanye Surge has just beaten the Drawkland Net Corp by six. People laugh and cheer and sulk and cry. Hands were shaken. Coach Brewster is once again doused with Brawndo.

"We're for real, man", said Blackwell. "We needed a win today, and we got it. I'd like to say tomorrow's gonna be easy, but it's not. Those Pinoyistanis are dangerous, they've got nothing to lose. They upset Equestrian States [78-70] earlier. We don't want that to happen to us too."

"So much support, it's awesome. So much energy from the fans, which also means much energy for us players", Larsson added.

"After pushing themselves, the boys really deserve to..." Coach Brewster's words were cut off by his players, who didn't want anyone else to know what they have in store for their final game of the IBC 19 group stage.

Group D now has five teams with similar 3-2 records. San Jose Guayabal has the highest quotient of the five with +39. St. Kanye has +27, but the latter beat the former 83-67 on Matchday 2. Next is The Andromeda Islands (+16), Equestrian States (-9) and Britonisea (-17). The Surge's two losses come from the latter two. All of St. Kanye's games in the International Basketball Championships will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and online at http://www.skynet.stk/12-sports/ibc-19.

Next uniform: White. Odds against Pinoyistan: Favorites, 64-36.

Scores:

ST. KANYE 75 - Blackwell 17, Trichet 15, Morrigan 10, Forrest 7, Warner 6, Overton 5, Larsson 3, Smith 3, Stevens 3, Gatson 2, Page 2, Philips 2.

DRAWKLAND 69 - Kennedy 22, Madison 17, Campbell 7, Trallen 6, Hopkins 4, Herriford 3, Fairshore 2, Hallekon 2, Rider 2, Vandertrump 2, Chome 1, Patrick 1.

Quarters: 24-23, 37-43, 58-56, 75-69.

[Abanhfleft]

Canalave Iconic Arena
Canalave, Valladares

"Is there a problem, Leo? You don't look like you're playing your best out there tonight."

"There's something on my mind, coach," Leo Baxter told Abdul Halim bin Osman, head coach of the Abanhfleft national basketball team. "But not right now. Maybe we'll talk about it later?"

"Sure thing, Leo," Osman replied. "But no more game time for you right now. You're obviously not at one hundred percent. And I've heard that people think that Tim looked good in the last game. Maybe it's time to get him some more time on the court." Timofey Ipatiev was the third-string point guard of the Rebolusyonaryos, but his performances coming on for the out-of-form Eldred Rogerson had managed to help Abanhfleft to victory over The Serbian Empire.

"No complaints about that, coach. And they're right. Tim does look like one for the future. I'm glad he's playing for us."

It was a good chance for Tim Ipatiev to showcase his skills in front of a wider viewing audience, namely the people watching the International Basketball Championships. And against United For Russia, a newcomer nation that had been subsequently disqualified from the competition after some questionable practices by their basketball federation but still had to play their games because it would be an administrative nightmare to reschedule the other games. The Vietussians put up a bit of a fight even though they knew that whatever the results they weren't getting out of the group stages, but it was still an easy victory for Abanhfleft. The margins of victory didn't matter, just the victories themselves, but it was still good to see the team chipping in a good margin that they never relinquished for the whole 48 minutes.

Once the game was over Osman called over Leo and set him aside into a quiet corner so they could talk uninterrupted and without someone eavesdropping on them. "All right, we're both alone now, Leo," he said. "What was on your mind earlier?"

"Yesterday, while I was at the hotel 'cooling my head off,'" Leo said, making the air quotation signs, "someone called me. Whoever it was said that I've been caught up in the campaign against Juliet Shillington of Ko-oren, and that I've got to watch my back because of it. I mean, it's just a surreal situation, I feel like I'm living in a badly written movie and there's no way I can get out. It's just unbeliebavle, coach. I don't know what to think!"

Osman sighed. "All right, Leo, I can't claim that I know what you're going through, but let me offer you some advice. There are three things certain in life: death, taxes and Abanhfleft winning third place. The rest is all an uncertain mishmash of possibilities that may or may not happen. Now, you say that you don't know anything about this so-called campaign against Shillington. That means you've got nothing to worry about. If you know nothing then there's no way these people will go after you."

"That's not my real problem, coach," Leo said. "You say I've got nothing to worry about. But I'm the kind of guy who thinks that just because you're paranoid doesn't mean the men in black aren't after you. Sometimes it's hard being me."

"I wouldn't dare challenge that," Osman said. "Listen, Leo, I think it's time you took a day off. Maybe the pressure is getting onto you. Take a rest. It will do you wonders, trust me. I know it's worked in my case."

"All right, coach, I'll take your word for it."

So it was that Leo Baxter found himself excused from training the next day and allowed free roam throughout Canalave with the express permission of the coach. There wasn't any star player bullcrap attached to it; Leo had found himself quite fatigued ever since that call from that mysterious person disguising their voice in an attempt to not be recognized. As if he would recognize whoever had called him in the first place.

Of course, the moment that he relaxed and let himself calm down, that was when a bunch of men in black burst out of their hiding place, took hold of Leo's hands, arms and ldgs, slapped duct tape over his mouth and dragged him over to a waiting vehicle before sliding a sack over his head.

Curse you, Abdul Halim bin Osman, Leo thought with every neuron in his brain.

[Vangaziland]

Another Vannish defensive effort lead to a win, limiting the Serbian Empire to just 60 points. The team had 7 steals combined. Tom Gravu had 3 of those. Gravu had a great night off the bench, scoring 15 points in 18 minutes alongside 4 assists. He hit two big three-pointers from both corners back to back. It quieted a Serbian scoring run.

After Gravu's two threes, Jon Jennsen went on a run of his own. Yulssen called a few isolation plays for the team's captain, 6'10" Jennsen who took his man to the basket four times in a row.

The Serbians fought hard and really tried to stay in the game, but Vangaziland always had their number with a response or run of their own.

Frank Hurcle and Lonnie Knucks split time at center again. Hurcle had a really big defensive presence with 3 blocks and 1 of his team's steals. Knucks led his team's rebounding effort with 8 boards.

Vangaziland had its least amount of assists per game since the tournament started. There was a lot more isolation, driving and shooting off the dribble. Yulssen still managed 7 assists.

Christopher Ironwrought picked up 22 minutes, most of them in the second half. In that time he scored 15, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 2 steals .

Greg Hennson only played 8 minutes. "I'm not going to complain about my playing time." Greg spoke post game, not looking tired or sweaty but with a forlorn look in his eyes. "I wish I could have a bigger impact though. I know I could. Maybe I have to prove it to the coaches."

Hennson scored 5 points in his limited amount of time, one three pointer and two late game free throws.

Analysts have stated that the Vannish team looks somewhat stronger than they did last year. Coach Tomasson spoke on the subject at the post game conference. "It's tough making cuts, sometimes. But we have a deep pool to pull from. The Emperor's Basketball Cup finished about two weeks ago. We saw so much talent. I have to say. There will probably be one or two changes next year... But let's see how this year goes. Let's see who wants a spot."

The coached seemed to be challenging his team, saying what he felt would motivate them.

"The bench is deep", coach said. "But we could probably get it a little deeper."

Jolla Borgsen, once known as the team's sixth man, is getting far less minutes this year in favor of Ironwrought. "It doesn't bother me", Borgsen said in a Vannish Sports interview. "These are my teammates, man. Chris is cool to have on your side. Funny too."

The Vangaziland Royals went viral, releasing a spoof video of the Vannish Hip Hop song, 'Balls Bouncing Off The Wall' by MC McMasters. Their parody was actually filmed 2 weeks ago, in Vangaziland.

[The Andromeda Islands]

Andromeda News Network
Press Room - Coliseo de Oriente
Campo Grande, Valladares
Friday, July 27
10:00 pm

Rose Jackson talks with Eagles Coach Al Gooden about tonight’s game against Britonisea and the Eagles’ chances of making the Round of 16.

JACKSON: The Andromeda Eagles, after a shaky start, are still in contention for a spot in the Round of 16. With me tonight is Eagles Coach Al Gooden. First, let’s look at tonight’s game. What were you thinking tonight, Coach.

GOODEN: After our second loss, we knew that our backs were against the wall. We had to win the rest of our games in order to have to chance to advance. The target was off our backs, so that gave us the freedom to play our game.

JACKSON: What about Dan Stuckey? He was Big Pimpin’ in the Paint tonight. 27 points, 10 rebounds & 3 blocks. What lit the spark under Stuckey?

GOODEN: Dan really came out like gangbusters. Most of his points resulted from offensive rebounds. The key tonight was crashing the boards. Stuckey, Tommy Egan, Hardwick, they really dominated the boards tonight.

JACKSON: And what about the back court? Becky Westchester and Rita Gomez have fit nicely with the boys up front.

GOODEN: It’s an odd fit, but it works. Westchester’s very deliberate as a floor general. Lopez is all emotion out there. Kind of like PJ Hardwick and Tommy Egan up front. It’s worked so far.

JACKSON: There was a different feeling tonight with the Eagles, Coach. Even in the last game, there was a sense of desperation. This game, the Eagles seemed to have much more fun.

GOODEN: We got back to the fundamentals, Rose. Instead of swimming against the tide, we were finally riding the wave. Instead of adjusting to a tempo, we set the tempo.

JACKSON: The Eagles did register their highest point total of the tournament tonight. Let’s talk about Group D. What do the Eagles need to do in order to advance?

GOODEN: Norm and I just looked at our position before we got here. The end game for us is much simpler than it looks. We play San Jose Guayabal on Sunday. If we win, we’re in.

JACKSON: What about the other three contenders?

GOODEN: Basically it’s like this. The winner of our game on Sunday is in. If St. Kanye wins, they’re in. If St. Kanye loses, then The Equestrians play Britonisea for the final spot.

JACKSON: So, aside from Andromeda, who do you think will advance?

GOODEN: Rose, I ain’t going there. The Eagles are focused on winning this next game. I could guess, I suppose, but... we’ve already got 99 problems...

JACKSON: And your guess ain’t one. With legendary Eagles Head Coach Al Gooden in Campo Grande, Valladares, this is Rose Jackson. Andromeda News Network.

----------

PLAYER OF THE GAME

10 C Dan Stuckey

Age: 33
Team: Angeles City Sun Kings
Height: 7’1”
2035 Stats: 22.1 ppg, 9.2 rpg

Daniel Stuckey has led the Sun Kings to the ASBA Finals for the last two Seasons. He also won a Championship with the Joppa Jaguars. Stuckey was also the starting Center for the Andromeda Eagles in IBC XIV.

Stuckey is been married to Andromedan folk singer Jayme Summers. Summers credits Stuckey with helping her grow as a musician. They have three children.

[Saint Kanye]

THE KARDASHIA KIBITZER

I DATED A DRAWKIAN: A TALE OF TWO FANS

by Quincy Meredith

Guest Contributor

So I was watching the Surge-Net Corp game, minding my own business, when all of a sudden, this tall chick comes sitting beside me. She was, like, seven feet or something, and wearing a black jacket with a red stripe... "HEY! Ain't that Drawkland colors? Whutcha doin' in the land of the enemy, gurl?" Nah, didn't say that aloud, just in my head. But then the big blonde spoke, "Hello".

"Hi", I said, not wanting to be rude.

"I'm Cara".

"Quincy".

C: Perhaps you're wondering what I'm doing over here, when all the others were doing over there.

Q: Yeah, guess so.

C: They advised us to sit towards the back of the arena so that we don't block views because of our height, but I'm not such a stand-and-cheer type of person so I figured I'd rather get a better look.

Q: Oh, yeah. The height, yeah.

C: Yep, comes with the genes.

Q: How tall are you, anyway?

C: Six-ten.

Q: No way. (I'm just six-two)

C: It's not even that big, considering we have mostly seven-foot players.

Q: And an eight, said J-Mo.

I point to my tablet PC, where I regularly read the paper online.

C: J-who?

Q: Jason Morrigan. That big bald dude on the bench, with the lightning tattoo on his face.

C: Sounds scary.

Q: Nah, he's friendly. He's always the first to take photos with kids in the stands. Great at hoops, too.

C: Hahaha. Yeah? We have James Kennedy, eight-foot-one.

Q: Oh, God.

C: Yeah.

Meanwhile, Frederic Trichet shoots to put the Surge up 34-33.

Q: Oh, would you look at that? We're up.

C: Not for long.

Gerald Madison tips the ball in and makes it 35-34 Net Corp.

Q: Nah, we'll answer back.

C: Will not.

Q: Will too.

C: Will not.

Cara pauses for a couple of seconds, as if thinking.

C: Hey, why don't we bet? If we win, you're gonna go out to our players, wearing your purple-and-lime polo, and ask them guys for autographs.

I was feeling brave here, and I also wanted a chance to do what I was thinking. Hey, it's not like that.

Q: You're on! But if WE win, you're going to dinner with me.

Cara pauses again.

C: Fine, fine. Now I'm gonna need our Net Corp to win more than ever.

Q: Say what now?

C: Nothing, nothing.

And so we watched the rest of the game quietly. Or not. We tease each other while cheering for our own teams.

The Surge won the game 75-69. Yes, the date is real! But being a gentleman, I accompanied Cara first to the Drawkian locker room to ask her idols for autographs. I admit, I was scared of the Drawkian players, but they were gentle and one of them even wished our team luck for tomorrow. After we ate at some nice seafood joint (I love clams), Cara gave me her number, email and social site accounts. She also said that she won't be coming home until the first day of the playoffs, which means we'll be seeing each other for a few days more after this. And that is how I dated a Drawkian.

Quincy Meredith, 28, is the manager of a Rockstar Cafe branch in Bloomfield city, St. Kanye. He lives in an apartment alone, but what's happening between him and Cara may just change that in the future, he says.

All of St. Kanye's games in the International Basketball Championships will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and online at http://www.skynet.stk/12-sports/ibc-19. IBC fan stories can be submitted at http://www.the-kardashia-kibitzer.stk/ibc/fan-stories. We will notify you via email if your story has been selected for publication.

Next uniform: White. Odds against Pinoyistan: Favorites, 64-36.

---

St. Kanye's premier gambling website UBetcha.stk is proud to bring you the odds of every Matchday 7 game.

0-100 to 30-70 Heavy underdogs
31-69 to 40-60 Underdogs
41-59 to 49-51 Slight underdogs
50-50 Even
51-49 to 59-41 Slight favorites
60-40 to 69-31 Favorites
70-30 to 100-0 Heavy favorites

Group A:

Jesushorse* 33-67 Banguela*
Semarland 77-23 NN Aqmuland*
Britenia* 20-80 Valladares

*Eliminated.

Group B:

Levivania* 30-70 Flardania
Andromedan WAT* 38-62 Ethane*
Frenline Delpha 46-54 Nova Anglicana

*Eliminated.

Group C:

Elejamie 85-15 Halfblakistan*
Nueva Andalusia 78-22 Noksentin*
Zovorossia* 35-65 Cosumar

*Eliminated.

Group D:

Pinoyistan* 36-64 St. Kanye
Britonisea 40-60 Equestrian States
San Jose Guayabal 50-50 The Andromeda Islands

*Eliminated.

Group E:

Gim 66-34 US Devonta*
The Boatia* 60-40 Pulunia*
Jacobandia* 32-68 Ko-oren

*Eliminated.

Group F:

The Serbian Empire 57-43 Silvacometopia
United Vietussia* 36-64 Vangaziland
Omerica 42-58 Abanhfleft

*Disqualified.

Group G:

Kirisaki 45-55 Kaboomlandia
Outworld* 18-82 Vaugania
Welcomzia 40-60 RK Quebec

*Eliminated.

Group H:

Magehold 70-30 San Llera*
Valanora 75-25 Sioux Lookout*
HUElavia* 25-75 Electrum

*Eliminated.

[Valladares]

Oh, can you feel all that tension in the air? Especially for the teams in groups D, F, and G and their fans, this will be a very nervy affair. Four teams have already extended their stay in Valladares for the playoffs, and twelve spots still remain up for grabs. Will you get one of those?

RP Cutoff for the last matchday of the group stage of this IBC!

---

International Basketball Championships 19 - Matchday 7

Group A
Jesushorse 59–91 Banguela
Semarland 79–79 New North Aqmuland (94–93 OT)
Britenia 61–67 Valladares

Group A                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts
1 Valladares                    6   6  0  495 429 +66   18 Q
2 Semarland                     6   5  1  480 397 +83   15 Q
3 Chromatika                    6   3  3  461 492 −31    9
4 Banguela                      6   3  3  469 435 +34    9
5 Jesushorse                    6   2  4  431 500 −69    6
6 New North Aqmuland            6   2  4  483 504 −21    6
7 Britenia                      6   0  6  403 465 −62    0

Group B
Levivania 59–69 Flardania
Andromedan WAT 71–74 Ethane
Frenline Delpha 84–89 Nova Anglicana

Group B                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                6   6  0  509 435 +74   18 Q
2 Flardania                     6   4  2  486 432 +54   12 Q
3 Frenline Delpha               6   4  2  490 444 +46   12
4 Ethane                        6   3  3  450 500 −50    9
5 Levivania                     6   2  4  458 476 −18    6
6 Andromedan WAT                6   1  5  426 475 −49    3
7 Bongo Johnson                 6   1  5  427 484 −57    3

Group C
Elejamie 66–64 Halfblakistan
Nueva Andalusia 88–73 Noksentin
Zovorossia 83–84 Cosumar

Group C                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Cosumar                       6   5  1  465 450 +15   15 Q
2 Nueva Andalusia               6   5  1  455 403 +52   15 Q
3 Elejamie                      6   4  2  457 431 +26   12
4 Natanians and Nosts           6   3  3  468 437 +31    9
5 Zovorossia                    6   2  4  430 467 −37    6
6 Noksentin                     6   2  4  463 488 −25    6
7 Halfblakistan                 6   0  6  412 474 −62    0

Group D
Pinoyistan 53–87 Saint Kanye
Britonisea 73–81 Equestrian States
San José Guayabal 72–84 The Andromeda Islands

Group D                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Saint Kanye                   6   4  2  454 393 +61   12 Q
2 The Andromeda Islands         6   4  2  478 450 +28   12 Q
3 Equestrian States             6   4  2  433 434  −1   12
4 San José Guayabal             6   3  3  469 442 +27    9
5 Britonisea                    6   3  3  442 467 −25    9
6 Drawkland                     6   2  4  441 461 −20    6
7 Pinoyistan                    6   1  5  401 471 −70    3

Group E
Gim 90–84 United States of Devonta
The Boatia 72–93 Pulunia
Jacobandia 67–103 Ko-oren

Group E                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA   PD  Pts 
1 Ko-oren                       6   6  0  527 416 +111   18 Q
2 Gim                           6   4  2  500 445  +55   12 Q
3 The Sword Bloke               6   4  2  484 465  +19   12
4 Pulunia                       6   2  4  452 478  −26    6
5 Jacobandia                    6   2  4  436 512  −76    6
6 The Boatia                    6   2  4  440 490  −50    6
7 United States of Devonta      6   1  5  446 479  −33    3

Group F
The Serbian Empire 69–96 Silvacometopia
United Vietussia 66–99 Vangaziland
Omerica 65–83 Abanhfleft

Group F                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    6   5  1  511 447 +64   15 Q
2 Vangaziland                   6   4  2  503 428 +75   12 Q
3 Silvacometopia                6   3  3  485 507 −22    9
4 Omerica                       6   3  3  440 458 −18    9
5 The Serbian Empire            6   2  4  448 470 −22    6
6 Derpsadaslkkf                 6   2  4  469 511 −42    6 DSQ
7 United Vietussia              6   2  4  468 503 −35    6 DSQ

Group G
Kirisaki 79–71 Kaboomlandia
Outworld 76–83 Vaugania
Welcomzia 75–76 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group G                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       6   4  2  478 489 −11   12 Q
2 Vaugania                      6   4  2  528 463 +65   12 Q
3 Kirisaki                      6   4  2  481 484  −3   12
4 Ficiscia                      6   3  3  466 422 +44    9
5 Kaboomlandia                  6   3  3  443 445  −2    9
6 Welcomzia                     6   2  4  481 505 −24    6
7 Outworld                      6   1  5  427 496 −69    3

Group H
Magehold 78–70 San Llera
Valanora 81–63 Sioux Lookout
HUElavia 52–92 Electrum

Group H                       Pld   W  L   PF  PA   PD  Pts 
1 Electrum                      6   5  1  486 419  +67   15 Q
2 Valanora                      6   5  1  465 414  +51   15 Q
3 Magehold                      6   4  2  472 454  +18   12
4 Filopines                     6   3  3  477 432  +45    9
5 HUElavia                      6   2  4  404 505 −101    6
6 Sioux Lookout                 6   2  4  413 443  −30    6
7 San Llera                     6   0  6  408 458  −50    0

The Playoffs - Round of 16 (All ties played to the best of three)

R1: (#1) Ko-oren vs. Flardania (#15)* @ Arena Foix, Bezieres
R2: (#8) Royal Kingdom of Quebec vs. Semarland (#9) @ Coliseo Iván Quiroz, Pradera
R3: (#4) Electrum vs. Vaugania (#13) @ Slateport Arena, Slateport
R4: (#5) Abanhfleft vs. Valanora (#11)* @ Canalave Iconic Arena, Canalave
R5: (#2) Nova Anglicana vs. The Andromeda Islands (#16)* @ Abbey Court, Carloburgo
R6: (#7) Saint Kanye vs. Nueva Andalusia (#10) @ Coliseo de Oriente, Campo Grande
R7: (#3) Valladares vs. Gim (#14) @ Coliseo Mayor de Valladares, Metropolis
R8: (#6) Cosumar vs. Vangaziland (#12)* @ Eterna Multisports Complex, Eterna City

*: Switched ties in order to avoid repeat of group stage games

[Saint Kanye]

THE KARDASHIA KIBITZER

SURGE DESTROY PINOYISTAN, ENTER IBC ROUND OF 16

by Claude Harlan

CAMPO GRANDE - The St. Kanye Surge played their hearts out and got the win against Drawkland last night. But that was only half of the mission. The other half required them to beat today the team from Pinoyistan, who the Surge admitted "looked dangerous" as they took down Equestrian States to jeopardize the horses' bid for playoffs. But the Pinoyistanis turned out to be anything but. St. Kanye buried them 87-53 and advanced to the Round of 16. Darrell Gatson had 14 points, four assists and two steals, and Marc Stevens also had 14 points to go with three rebounds, two steals and an assist.

The Surge went on a rampage from the opening tip. The scoring was opened by two threes from James Blackwell, followed by a windmill dunk from Billy Forrest, to make it 8-0. The Pinoyistanis would only make three baskets and one out of six free throws during the entire first quarter, which ended 25-7 in favor of the Kanyeans..

Then coach Paulie Brewster, who in a bit of superstition was still wearing his Brawndo-soaked tie from yesterday, put his plan into action. Believing that his bench players can do just as good a job as the starting five, he did a mass substitution. Gatson and Stevens combined for fifteen points in this quarter, and the Surge ended the second quarter leading 48-23.

Coach Brewster continued to rest the starters for the third. St. Kanye forced four-point plays twice, first by Gatson, and then by Lester Smith. Jason Morrigan's first appearance in the game would see him shoot while sitting down, and with one shoe off. The score at the end of the third was 69-42.

The Surge defense toughened up during the fourth, as they would prevent Pinoyistan from scoring until 2:48 left in the game, when their point guard broke the ice with a layup and their 44th point against the Surge's 79. They would then play even the rest of the game and eventually bow out of IBC 19 with a thirty-four-point loss.

"Okay, so that was what I was talking about. The starters needed that rest after that difficult Drawkland game, and the bench players need to show their worth and of course pad their stats for the next round", said Coach Brewster. "Even if we did great, it's back to zero for the playoffs, and we should continue doing what we're doing when we win, so that our good showing in the group stage won't go to waste. We have shown that we can beat strong teams, ranked teams, and we're not going to let Nueva Andalusia's #44 spot or 5-1 card intimidate us."

The Kanyean crowd at Coliseo de Oriente stadium numbered 3,376 at the start of the game, but became 3,377 midway through. Pregnant Surge fan Sheryl Beck, 33, gave birth to a boy during the second quarter. According to her husband Elias, 34, "She should've stayed at the hotel with my mother. I told her that she shouldn't be at such a noisy, chaotic place, but no. She insisted on watching our team win. She knew it." Elias and Sheryl headed to the hospital afterwards, and there they agreed on the name Ezio Darren, from the first name of Sheryl's favorite player (Darren Overton) and the fact that the baby was born during a timeout at 01:23 left in the second quarter (0123 turned upside down is EZIO, said Elias). Little Ezio automatically gains Kanyean citizenship due to his having two full-blooded Kanyean parents, regardless of place of birth.

The Group D topnotcher Surge, being seeded seventh, will be playing #10 seed, Group C second-placer Nueva Andalusia, still at Coliseo de Oriente. The Surge will be wearing purple. All of St. Kanye's games in the International Basketball Championships will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and online at http://www.skynet.stk/12-sports/ibc-19. IBC fan stories can be submitted at http://www.the-kardashia-kibitzer.stk/ibc/fan-stories. We will notify you via email if your story has been selected for publication.

Scores:

ST. KANYE 87 - Gatson 14, Stevens 14, Larsson 10, Blackwell 8, Morrigan 7, Smith 7, Page 6, Trichet 5, Forrest 4, Overton 4, Philips 4, Warner 4.

PINOYISTAN 53 - Individual scores not available.

Quarters: 25-7, 48-23, 69-42, 87-53.

[The Andromeda Islands]

Andromeda vs San Jose Guayabal
Coliseo de Oriente
Campo Grande, Valladares
Sunday, July 27
6:00 pm

With just under 30 seconds, reserve shooting guard John Knox drives to the basket. The Eagles are up 82-72. Knox is fouled in the act of shooting.

The players position themselves around the paint as Knox waits to shoot his foul shots. He thinks about what has happened in the past few games. As he dribbles the ball at the foul line, he thinks about how the Eagles have change since their two losses.

Knox shoots his first foul shot. Swish!

The crowd cheers. Many of the fans are Andromedans who arrived earlier this weekend. The fan support from the Andromeda Islands has been crucial to them. The Eagles couldn’t have won over Britonisea without the fan support. The Eagles have been buoyed by the fan support.

Knox goes through his free throw ritual. He sighs as he dribbles. He raises the ball up, ready to shoot with his right hand. He shoots.

Swish.

Most of the Eagles run back on defense. The SJG shooting guard attempts a baseball pass down court, which is intercepted by reserve point guard Farah Pahlavi. She passes the ball to Knox, who watches the clock count down.

3....2....1....

The horn sounds. The Eagles and their fans rush the court. Lost among the crowd are Knox and Pahlavi, who have helped keep the Eagles in sync in the second half.

Pahlavi gets up on Knox’s shoulders. Knox closes his eyes as he raises Pahlavi up. The Eagles won their last three games and have advanced to the next round.

The Eagles are again among the elites in International Basketball. Their quest for a third IBC Championship continues.

[Vangaziland]

The Vangaziland Royals defeated United Vietussia with a score of 99-66. It was another professional performance, where the Vangazi moved the ball around and shared the spotlight. There was no celebrating on the court, there was no trash talking. The Royals helped the opposing team's players off the floor, often smiled and offered small talk with their rivals throughout the game.

"We are not like most teams", said captain Jon Jennsen. "This tournament is not made just to boost someone's ego. That's the same reason I hate the international media. They get a blowout and immediately articles fly in about how great their team is and how poorly the other team played. Our ego is not attached to our wins."

Journalist Sarah Kelleson was interviewed about the relationship between the Vannish media and the Royals.

"Coach Tomasson and all the others have made it very clear", she said. "The media is to follow their example of humility and has been instructed not to exaggerate a win or brag about ranking differences. This is becoming more and more important as the Royals climb the ladder."

The Vannish coaches also spoke on this topic.

"All we need is one article to make us look like a bunch of pompous jerks. The point of international sports is not to brag about who is better than who", said Coach Tomasson. "So far, we stand by every article put out by the major Vannish news networks and applaud their coverage."

"I gave the Vietussians a few pointers", said center Frank Hurcle. "I think next year they'll come back as a true force. There is a lot of good competition in this tournament."

The last game of the group stages turned out to be more perimeter oriented than the Royals' last game. Handsen scored 20 and Sokol scored 19. Jon Hendorn played the entire 4th quarter in addition to sporadic minutes earlier in the game. He scored 10 of his 15 points in the last quarter, finishing out the game with a hot streak.

"We let Hendorn play his style of basketball towards the end. He's a shooter. Jon managed to grab a few assists too. So it's all good", said assistant coach Kate Foyelson.

"I have to applaud the international writers this year. The articles have been well-written", Jennsen added.

[Gim]

"Watchers of WATV 8 News, this is the end of our current affairs news. We will now turn you towards WATV Sports."


Camera switches to WATV Sports with Anchorwoman Jo Jin Ri standing in the center of the WATV Sports platform.


Jo Jin Ri speaks:

"Hello, I'm Jo Jin Ri for WATV Sports. Tonight is the night that Gim must shine. A must-win game against United States of Devonta. In basketball, this is their first time playing against them, although, in football, both teams tied with no score. However, the game is expected to be tough, since Devontans are an established, ranked team, while Gimians are unranked. Without further ado, let us watch the highlights."

Camera shows an aerial view of the basketball arena.

"Gim must win this game to advance to the Round of 16. United States of Devonta is already eliminated from the tournament. 1st quarter. Gim and United States of Devonta tied at 12. Gimian defender, Joo Sang Won, makes a long pass to Byun Do won, who is near the Devontan zone. Byun catches the ball, feigns a drive into the Devontan zone, and shoots. He scores(4:21-4:28), and the Gimians are leading 15-12."

Camera shows the Gimians attacking within the Devontan zone.

"2nd quarter. Gim and United States of Devonta tied at 41. Again. This game is quite even for both sides. Seo Jin Soo drives into the Devontan zone towards the right. He is surrounded by power forwards of United States of Devonta, Booker Washington and Eli Brackenridge. He passes back to Seo Oh Min, who passes back to Byun Do Won, who is standing towards the center of just outside the Devontan zone. He shoots a long shot, and it goes into the net with a swish(4:29-4:33). 44-41. Gim has the lead again."

Camera shows the Gimians attacking within the Devontan zone.

"3rd quarter. Gim leading slightly: 65-64. Two seconds to go in the third quarter. Seo Oh Min dribbles the ball towards the center of the court from the zone of his team. Knowing there is not enough time to advance into the Devontan zone, he shoots the ball from just outside the center of the court, and, somehow, the ball is in the net!(5:11-5:16) 68-64 lead by Gim."

Camera shows the Gimian attacking within the Devontan zone.

"4th quarter. Gim and United States of Devonta tied at 84. Byun Do Won dribbles the ball to the center of court, veers to the right and attempts to head deeply into the Devontan zone, but he turns back. He, then, feigns veering to the right, and shoots the ball from just outside the Devontan zone. He scores!(5:38-5:42) 87-84. Gim has the lead with thirty seconds left in the fourth quarter!"

Camera shows the Gimian players shaking hands with the Devontan players and saluting the fans for advancing into the Round of 16.

"90-84. Gimians managed to pull off a win, and they are going to the Round of 16. A well-deserved win, and Byun Do Won is definitely the Most Valuable Player of the Game with thirty-four points tonight. Valladares, here we come!"

[Abanhfleft]

Somewhere in Canalave
Valladares

"Take off the sack," a voice said. Rough hands whipped off the sack over Leo Baxter's head, and he found himself breathing hard as he took in his new surroundings. It was some kind of industrial building where his kidnappers were holding him, and while Leo had little to no idea where they were holding him, he was reasonably sure that he was still in Canalave.

"Who are you and why have you taken me here!?" Leo demanded.

"Shut up!" one of the kidnappers said in an accent that Leo couldn't tell exactly where they came from. "No talk, no speak!"

And then the kidnappers split away from each other, making a passageway through which the person that Leo assumed to be their leader could make their way through to him. The leader went down the passageway, and he or she--Leo couldn't really tell--was wearing a black hooded jacket and a dark grey longcoat. The leader walked with a bit of a limp, and then he or she finally settled down on the seat in front of Leo. "You are Leonidas Baxter, correct?" the person asked. The voice sounded female, speaking in yet another accent that Leo couldn't tell. But at least it was different from the accents of the kidnappers, or at least the kidnapper that had spoken to him.

"Yeah, I'm Leo Baxter. What do you want with me? Why have you taken me, huh?"

"That is not your concern, but ours," the woman leader of the kidnappers replied. "There is something that we really need to talk about now, Leo. There is something you need to know from me, and there is something that I need to know from you."

"I cannot possibly have any idea of what you're talking about," Leo replied.

"Just wait and see," the leader replied. And then she took off the hood and the scarf covering her face, and as she let them drop, Leo couldn't help but let his mouth drop open. "You!" he said.

---

"Has anyone here seen Leo?" Abdul Halim bin Osman as the rest of the Fleftic national basketball team converged around him in preparation for their practice and training leading up to the series against Valanora.

"No sign of him, coach," Newton Isaacs replied. "Not in the hotel, not in any of the restaurants nearby, not in the back streets playing pick-up games with the locals, nowhere."

"Ah, we'll just cross that bridge when we get there," Osman said. "Besides, he's not really essential to the new game plan. Now, we're up against Valanora in the round of 16. They're big bastards and very strong, seeing as they're elves. It's gonna be just like San Llera last time, except this time we're prepared with our very own big guys. Now, this is what we're gonna do: Damian, you'll be the biggest of the big men, so you're going to make yourself the focus of the defense. Meanwhile, the rest of you will work into the spaces cleared by the defense because of Damian. There you'll work your way into shooting positions and get those twos and threes. Damian, since you'll get fouled the most, you'll be the free throw shooter almost every time, so you need to work on your free throws."

It wasn't much of a plan, just as the games against San Llera last time around weren't much of a plan, but it had eventually worked out in their favor, but there was no guarantee that it would work against the Vanorians, the elves. Still, it wasn't any use thinking. It was on the court where everything mattered, and where winners and losers were decided.

[Gim]

"Watchers of NATV 8 News, this is the end of our current affairs news. We will now turn you towards NATV Sports."


Camera switches to NATV Sports with Anchorwoman Ha Eun Seo standing in the center of the NATV Sports platform. A panel of sports analysts and sports broadcasters sit down behind luxurious desks on the side.


"Hello. This is Ha Eun Seo of NATV 8 Sports. There is nothing better like basketball during wintertime. Our Gimian team has officially begun to participate in the International Basketball Tournament, and, as a debut team, they have made impressive progress by defeating the odds of just the ranked teams advancing to the elimination stages, earning a berth to the Round of 16. Their most formidable rivals have been Ko-oren and Sword Bloke, national teams that are first and twenty-fifth, respectively, in the rankings. However, the Gimians are to find challenge in their knockout stage as they are set to play against the host of this tournament, Valladares. What do you think about this situation, panels who are here tonight?"

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel sitting on the very left side of the desk on the left of Seong Seon Young, Lee Deok Hyeon.

"Valladares is certainly a tough team against whom to play. They are not only the host team that would gain the support of their crowd in their home arenas, but they have never lost in the round robin, winning six straight games with a +66 point differential."

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel, Yoo Dong Joo, sitting on the third seat to the very right on the right of Seong Seon Young.

"However, I still believe Gim has a decent chance against the team. We have not had much difference in scoring, when we played the first-place Ko-orenites: Trailing only by eleven points: 94-83. Valladares is forty-ninth in standings, and I say it is not quite impossibly to win against the team, even with their winning streak."

Camera switches to NATV Sports with Anchorwoman Ha Eun Seo standing in the center of the NATV Sports platform.

"What can you both say about the players in Valladares? How is their style of play?"

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel sitting on the very left side of the desk on the left of Seong Seon Young, Lee Deok Hyeon.

"The team is as unpredictable as it can be. In their first two games, they have successfully used their center, Santiago Mina, in making a great deal of three-pointers, whereas, in their last four games, they relied more on Freddy Pelletier and George Russell, who, not only have size and strength, but also speed to penetrate their opposition's defense, creating plays and earning points."

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel, Yoo Dong Joo, sitting on the third seat to the very right on the right of Seong Seon Young.

"Well, the Gimians can certainly cannot match their height, but we have quickness and can find ways to have open space for Byun Do Won to shoot three-pointers. Ban Yeong Hoon, a Gimian forward, is a notable playmaker in Gim, who is basically the powerhouse of the Gimian offense, when he is with Byun. We can definitely match their offense, because in the Round Robin, our team has more points than Valladares does: We have 500 points scored over the course of six games, whereas, Valladares has five fewer points scored."

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel sitting on the very left side of the desk on the left of Seong Seon Young, Lee Deok Hyeon.

"The downside is that we have more points allowed than Valladares. 445-429. So, that is sixteen points more than the Valladarian team. I say the match will be quite even, in my opinion. Of course, with Valladares being the home team, our players would have to withstand pressure and crowd reaction. Focus on just the game, not the people. That is the key."

Camera switches to NATV Sports with Anchorwoman Ha Eun Seo standing in the center of the NATV Sports platform.

"Okay. Last but not least, what are all of your score predictions?"

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel sitting on the very left side of the desk on the left of Seong Seon Young, Lee Deok Hyeon.

"I would have to say, approximately, 77-71 or 80-73 game for the Gimians. However, they would absolutely have to rely on three-pointers, since gaining points through technical fouls would be extremely difficult, as the Valladarians have committed up to a single foul in just a few of their games."

Camera switches to NATV Sports Panel, Yoo Dong Joo, sitting on the third seat to the very right on the right of Seong Seon Young.

"I don't disagree with Deok Hyeon there. Points will be made between 75 and 85 with no more of a differential than ten points. This game will be quite even for both teams, unless Gim puts itself into pressure. I mean, they are facing a host team. Host teams always have a sixth player: The Crowd."

Camera switches to NATV Sports with Anchorwoman Ha Eun Seo standing in the center of the NATV Sports platform.

"Well, this is the end of the NATV 8 News IBC Discussion. We certainly hope the Gimians win tonight against Valladares. Thank you, panels. Thank you, everyone."

[Nova Anglicana]

Lion's Roar

A SportsWorld Weblog

Guess Who the Lions are Playing in the Round of 16
by Alpha Lion



Yup. That's about right.

Sooo, the Lions won all six of their group stage by an average of 12.3 points per game. They snagged the #2 spot in the entire playoffs and who do they get? Gim? Vangaziland? Saint Kanye (really? That's the name of your country?)? Nope. They get a two-time IBC champion, the 10th-ranked team in the world, and a team they've never faced before. That's right, the Lions are playing the Andromeda Islands. Those Andromeda Islands. The nation renowned for their world-class basketball team and especially the many skilled women playing for that team. That's the team that the Lions get to play.

How did this happen? In the Andromeda Islands Eagles' first game, they vanquished a tough opponent in the 16th-ranked Equestrian States, 79-68. The Eagles pulled away in the second half behind Thomas Anderson's 10 assists and Shaniqua Watson's double digit scoring prowess. The next two games would not be so kind. They were tripped up by upstarts Saint Kanye, who were led by Frederic Trichet's 18 points. Anderson missed an uncontested layup late that could have cut Saint Kanye's lead to two points, but his miss meant that the Eagles would never come close to tying the game again. They lost to Drawkland in their next game, 79-74, a loss that nobody was expecting. A late three from Jake Hallekon gave Drawkland a 77-74 lead that they held onto for the win. The Eagles may have been surprised by playing against a bunch of middle-aged giants, but they couldn't recover and fell to 1-2.

The Eagles had to win their next three games if they wanted to make the Round of 16, and that's just what they did. They beat Pinoyistan 76-65 in a game where they didn't really pull away until the fourth quarter. While the Lions were routing the Andromeda Islands' WA Territory 91-63, the Eagles were holding off Britonisea 93-85. They were led by center Dan Stuckey and his 27 points, putting them at 3-2, along with four other teams in their group. On a final matchday full of tension in Group D, the Eagles defeated San Jose Guayabal 84-72. Saint Kanye blasted Pinoyistan 87-53, securing a spot in the Round of 16. The Equestrian States defeated Britonisea to also finish 4-2. The three teams at the top all finished 4-2, and all had a 1-1 head-to-head record, but Saint Kanye and TAI's superior point differential carried them through.

We can expect the Eagles to be a lot better than their WA territory, and this will almost certainly go to a deciding third game, but what are the Lions' chances?

Point Guard
Thomas Anderson is very good, and Caleb Burns is getting older. He's still a good player, but not as good as Anderson.

Advantage: Andromeda Islands

Shooting Guard
We haven't heard too much from Kenny Hurley this tournament, and while he's a vet at age 30, give me Omar King's defense and scoring over anyone else in the multiverse.

Advantage: Nova Anglicana

Small Forward
Tommy Egan has shown flashes of ability throughout the tournament, but hasn't been amazing. We can't exactly say that Cameron Fischer has been lights out, either.

Advantage: Draw

Power Forward
PJ Hardwick is a solid player, but he's a little undersized at 6'7. Not only does Kelvin Braxton have the height advantage, but his athleticism and jumping ability make him a more multi-talented player.

Advantage: Nova Anglicana

Center
Dan Stuckey has been a leader for this team and his scoring ability is unparalleled. Ibrahim Mbaraza's got him beat on the defensive end, but I don't know that he'll be able to fully neutralize Stuckey and his offense just isn't good enough.

Advantage: Andromeda Islands

Bench
The Andromeda Islands have ten reserves to the Lions' seven, and the Lions have three players 34 or older on the bench in addition to three players making their debut. I just think the Eagles have more impact players off the bench.

Advantage: Andromeda Islands

Coaching
Coach Raymon Guidry is an outstanding coach for the Nova Anglicana Lions, but Al Gooden is a two-time IBC champion and veteran coach. He may have slipped a bit during this tournament, but there's no way you can pick Guidry here.

Advantage: Andromeda Islands

Intangibles
The Lions don't have to move from Abbey Court in Carloburgo, and have picked up more than a few sympathetic Valladar fans. On the other hand, TAI have won three games in a row and have some serious momentum. The Lions' adrenaline at taking on such a good team, if they can keep it under control, gives them the edge here.

Advantage: Nova Anglicana

Total: Nova Anglicana 3, Andromeda Islands 4, 1 Draw. Looks like the Eagles have the advantage here, but it will be a hard-fought battle.

More from Lion's Roar
Lions in the Port Louis 7s Final
A Look at the Olympic Football Squad
Lowman to step down after IBS X

(OOC: Logo at top shamelessly cribbed from Pride of Detroit, Detroit Lions blog. The opinions expressed above are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily indicative of the opinions of Nova Anglicans or the user behind Nova Anglicana.)