International Basketball Championships (RP/Rosters/Scores)
Announcing the qualifying group draw for the first International Basketball Championships. Rosters, if they have been posted, are linked from each team.
GROUP A
1. Corivia
2. Dancougar
3. Frontenax
4. Gerainia
5. Kura-Pelland
6. Newmanistan
7. Secristan
GROUP B
1. Arroza
2. Cafundeu
3. Kenavt
4. Kose and the Turkomans
5. Lovisa
6. Taeshan
7. Xaristan
Teams play each other twice, home and away, according to the following schedule. After each gameday, a link will be made to the results.
Gameday 01 (Wed, June 11): 1@2 4@3 6@5
Gameday 02 (Thu, June 12): 3@1 2@4 7@5
Gameday 03 (Fri, June 13: 1@4 6@2 7@3
Gameday 04 (Sat, June 14): 5@1 2@3 6@7
Gameday 05 (Sun, June 15): 1@6 5@2 4@7
Gameday 06 (Mon, June 16): 7@1 4@5 3@6
Gameday 07 (Tue, June 17): 2@7 6@4 3@5
Gameday 08 (Thu, June 19): 2@1 3@4 5@6
Gameday 09 (Fri, June 20): 1@3 4@2 5@7
Gameday 10 (Sat, June 21): 4@1 2@6 3@7
Gameday 11 (Sun, June 22): 1@5 3@2 7@6
Gameday 12 (Mon, June 23: 6@1 2@5 7@4
Gameday 13 (Tue, June 24): 1@7 5@4 6@3
Gameday 14 (Thu, June 26): 7@2 4@6 5@3
GAMEDAYS 15-25 (Mon, June 30 - Thu, July 10) :: FINAL TOURNAMENT AND BEST OF THE REST MINI-LEAGUE
The top four teams in each group, based on overall record advance to the final tournament in Dancougar. Tiebreakers come in the following order: head to head record, point differential, points scored, away record. If somehow all of those are tied, there will be a playoff game on Thursday, June 26. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be best of three series, with the final being best of five. When qualifiers are decided, a tournament info/schedule post will be made, and linked from here.
Useful information follows!
In keeping with the basketball theme, up to three points of RP will be awarded for each gameday. If we assign your RP bonus for gameday n to the variable 'rp', then your cumulative RP bonus for gameday n is given by
RP(0) = 3
RP(n) = 0.5[rp + RP(n-1)]
One thing you'll notice is that this also caps the cumulative bonus at three points. This way, teams that cannot RP as regularly as other teams are not penalized as much. Real life does get in the way, and missing a day or two will not kill your cumulative score.
There is no such thing as team strength, since there are no previous rankings to go on. Home teams will always have a bonus point tacked onto their cumulative score, but the effect of that extra point is limited only to the home game and does not carry on in the formula. So the only way you can really affect the outcome of the games is by RPing. It should be noted, though, that the scorinator generates results simply by picking and choosing random numbers and applying them to a statistical model. By definition of the method of scoring, strange things can and will happen. Please do not complain about it. RP bonus is not a guarantee of victory, but it makes you shoot more accurately on average.
A 'good' RP, one that earns a high score, will contain a well-written summary of the game, or maybe some storyline you've got running on the side, or some combination of the two... it doesn't matter! Just have fun with it. If you want some examples, there are other sports threads lying around that you poke through. Chances are if you enjoy writing it, it'll come out just fine. Interacting with the teams around you is also encouraged.
As the host, Dancougar is ineligible for any RP bonus aside from the home team point.
The cutoff for RPs is tentatively midnight, Eastern USA time, which is currently GMT -4 for daylight savings. (To avoid confusion, when I say gameday 1 is Wednesday June 11, it means the cutoff is roughly one second after 23:59:59 on Wednesday.) After the cutoff is posted to the thread, no more RPs will count towards that day's outcomes, which will be posted thereafter.
During the final tournament, there will be a bonus minigame which can boost your RP scores over the maximum three points. Details will appear when the finals begin. The first game is in four days, which gives everyone time to hit the ground running. All IC posts from here until cutoff will go towards your gameday 1 RP bonus...
The Black Wings are all hopelessly confused... what is this strange game for which they're serving as hosts? Whatever, they say, let's just play some ball. Starters are bold.
C Paul Oliver
C Fred Ingot
SG Shinji Kankuro
SG Walt Redman
SG Bradley Chambers
SG Morris Zimmerman
PG Chad Natrine
PG Dan Masterson
G Sai Tohya
G Carl Sampdoria
SF Greg Vinson
PF Tim Reynor
PF Sam Placeway
PF Jasper John
F Frank Natrine
Xaristan National Basketball Stadium: 
Basketball is a favorite sport in Xaristan, and, as such, the Raiders hope to be able to bring home the inaugural title.
Roster:
Starters:
C Bryan Walters 7'2
C Franklin Harris 6'11
PF Simon Arres 6'10
SG Michael Potter 6'4
PG Zack Darid 6'1
Bench:
C Gregory Urran 7'1
PF Ira Hran 6'10
PF/SF Talin Seymore 6'7
SF Hunk Jeffers 6'8
SF Matthew Dwayne 6'7
SG Otto Jossick 6'3
SG/PG Hank Uxon 6'2
PG Vick Berger 5'11
The Raiders play a 2-3 zone defense, with a set offense generally concerned with pounding the boards and launching the occasional three point shot. Has some trouble against smaller, quicker teams, though bench is usually able to compensate. Against smaller teams, Matthew Dwayne usually replaces Simon Arres. The rest of the lineup remains the same.
GROUP B
1. Arroza
2. Cafundeu
3. kenavt
4. Kose and the Turkomans
5. Lovisa
6. Taeshan
7. Xaristan
Gameday 01 (Wed, June 11): OFF
Gameday 02 (Thu, June 12): Xaristan @ Lovisa
Gameday 03 (Fri, June 13: Xaristan @ Kenavt
Gameday 04 (Sat, June 14): Taeshan @ Xaristan
Gameday 05 (Sun, June 15): Kose and the Turkomans @ Xarisann
Gameday 06 (Mon, June 16): Xaristan @ Arroza
Gameday 07 (Tue, June 17): Cafundeu @ Xaristan
Gameday 08 (Thu, June 19): OFF
Gameday 09 (Fri, June 20): Lovisa @ Xaristan
Gameday 10 (Sat, June 21): Kenavt @ Xaristan
Gameday 11 (Sun, June 22): Xaristan @ Taeshan
Gameday 12 (Mon, June 23: Xaristan @ Kose and the Turkomans
Gameday 13 (Tue, June 24): Arroza @ Xaristan
Gameday 14 (Wed, June 25): Xaristan @ Cafundeu
KURA-PELLAND ACES
STARTERS
C Paul Tarotti (6'11, 271lbs)
PF Bryan Grade (6'9", 253lbs)
SF Jake Ulrich (6'7, 255lbs)
SG Vincent Elton (6'3, 220lbs)
PG Michael Melbridge (6'1, 202lbs)
BENCH
C Oscar Martins (7'2, 300lbs)
C/PF Fergus Persil (6'10, 260lbs)
PF Mario Cosetti (6'8, 250lbs)
SF Dwayne Partridge (6'6, 260lbs)
SF/SG Wesley Beasley (6'6, 256lbs)
SG Marti Millbrook (6'5, 219lbs)
SG/PG Tom Dillimer (6'3, 219lbs)
PG Mark Cottee (5'7, 178lbs)
TEAM STRENGTHS: Positional play; passing
TEAM WEAKNESSES: Shooting, especially three-pointers
HOME STADIA: Kura-Pelland Aces games will travel between four suitable venues around the country.
* The Unity Arena, Trilan. Capacity 21,556. Has staged the WorldVision contest and is generally seen as the 'national indoor stadium'. Will host games against Newmanistan and Secristan (the first two games).
* ICA Arena, Porterbridge. Capacity 21,810. Porterbridge has been trying to one-up Trilan for a few years now. This venue was quite deliberately designed to top the Unity Arena for capacity. Will host games against Corivia and Dancougar (the last two games).
* Corganen Arena, Wulting. Capacity 19,600. The Kura-Pellandi building society has used sporting sponsorship as a lynchpin for international expansion. Will host the game against Frontenax.
* The Southeast Dome, Mambaro. Capacity 20,340. The latest in a series of major construction projects in Mambaro as it sells itself as the 'gateway to Kura-Pelland'. Will host the game against Gerainia.
Outlook on the KBF Team:
Young and fast. Run fast break, and man-to-man defense. Look for da Vincho to stand out. The two big men mainly grab rebounds and play D.
Rosters:
Head Coach: Larry Burble
Starting Lineup:
C Thomas Vanek 7'0"-30 Defensive stalwart. Like Ben Wallace.
PF Kevin Woods 6'8"-22 All-around good player. Like Shawn Marion
F Barret Hary 6'6" Mainly used to set picks and screens. Don't leave him open, though. Like average forward
SG Vance Poi-6'5"-27 Show-off. Can shoot the 3 and dunk, but cannot guard well. Like Jason Richardson
PG Connor da Vincho 6'2"-19 Look for Connor da Vincho to be the standout player at the IBC. He can play defense, shoot that 3, dish it out, and dunk (occasionally). Like Kobe Bryant-just not selfish.
Reserves:
F Grant Clarke 6'4"-19 Shut-down defender. If he improves offense, may take over Barret Harry's spot.Like James Posey.
G Sky Asyton 5'11"-22 Sharpshooter. Like Kyle Korver.
C Phillip Geston 7'2"-23 Can knock down the three. Working on defense and getting in the paint. Prime candidate for starting five after Vanek retires. Like Dirk Nowitzki.
PF Xavier Partlock-6'11"-29. Doomed to spend the rest of his years on the bench. Like Antonio McDyess of Detroit
G Jacob Hollowrd 6'2"-35 Overextending his welcome years. Only used as a mentor for the young ones. Like Gary Payton
PF Michael Commodore-6'7"-18 Feisty-and a great prospect. Like Greg Oden
F Harry Quetin 6'5"-32 Just used to fill out the lineup. Nothing really
Schedule:
Yet to be released.
Stadium:
The Poiuytrewq Coliseum
Purple Knights Basketball Roster
PG Aaron Beliew #12 20
PG Deliua Greftoy #41 21
SG Alice Coopen #30 22
SG William Force #7 27
BG Phil Greggs #57 23
BG Fred Murphy #36 22
PF Qcraig Golchin #21 21
PF Cill Siss #9 20
C Ilchyin BaKER #28 20
C Baxter Baily #30 30
Manager Craig Yicly
Home Court-Fadron Arena 60,000
In terms of popularity in Newmanistan, basketball has struggled to really compete with some of the Empire's biggest sports. This often led to Newmanistan entering regional tournaments and finding themselves having a hard time against very physical inside teams. The Rockets adjusted this and started playing its own system of aggressive three-point shooting. Newmanistan will shoot the three constantly all game long, and in fact in Newmanistan, there is also a four-point line that exists six feet behind the three-point line. This could help in this tournament as teams may be surprised to see where our guys are not afraid to just pull up and shoot from. (OOC: The moral of the story is that I want you to think of our playing style as like that mid-major NCAA tournament team when they try to knock off a top team from a power conference!)
Here is the team:
Manager- Phil McDowell
PG- Connor Crawford (28, 6'6")- A prototypical point guard, he is a field general with the ball, and does a good job in recognizing which of his teammates will have the best three-point opportunity. He can hit them himself, too, of course. Crawford is also very good defending the three.
SG- Kory Klassen (29, 6'7")- This is the guy who will likely be the leading scorer for the Rockets. His three point shooting accuracy has led the EBA for four consecutive years, and he also can shoot the Empire-unique four-pointer as well, leading the way in 4-pointer average for six straight years. While that doesn't mean anything here, it does mean to watch out, because he will shoot from just about anywhere!
C- Tank Nelson (30, 7'1")- Well, someone's got to try and get the rebounds, right? Nelson will generally be doing just that, but every now and then, the Rockets will play it down low and give him a shot in the paint. Nelson is especially valuable defensively, though. He is fearless to the opponent, and never backs down from a challenge. For a center, he does a good job staying out of foul trouble.
PF- Reese Fraser (25, 6'8")- Fraser is really more of a power forward by default then what you traditionally expect from someone at this spot. Fraser will unload threes just as much as the guards, but unlike them, he will take it inside. He is the most physical player in the lineup.
SF- Garrett York (28, 6'6")Small fwrd or a second shooting guard? You decide what you wanna call him! While listed as a forward, he plays like a guard.
Bench (bios to come if I have time)
G- Raphael Lachance
G- Michael Lessard
C- Edward Dennis
F- Amar Rowe
F- Dennis Norton
C- Tyler Hanlon
G- Scottie Jordan
Stadium (for all games): Tundra Falls Proving Grounds (capacity 19,700 for basketball)
FRONTENAX GRIZZLIES
VENUE
NAME Level Arena
LOCATION Anchorage, Frontenax
CAPACITY 20,000
IMAGES Exterior Interior
NATIONAL ROSTER
MANAGERYuri Sholokhov
COACHSvetlana Sholokhova
STARTERS
C #2 Noah Eliyahu
PG #8 Aleksandr Emelianenko
SG #20 Dirk Petrov
PF #32 Adam West
SF #12 Ali Ammar
RESERVES
C #24 Fyodor Rotislav
C #14 Derrick Grant
G #16 Marco Santori
G #4 Alexander Karelin
G #10 Hassan Jouhaud
F #30 Elian Elhaj
F #26 Alain Hanin
F #22 Manuel Daho
*BOLD DENOTES TEAM CAPTAIN
Just like in the World Baseball Classic, the people representing Secristan are not the best basketball players in the country. Instead, they are the ones that bid the highest for each position. That said, that doesn't mean they are a bunch of bums off the street. In order for their bids to be valid, they needed to be between 18 and 38 years of age, pass a general fitness test, and have played at least one full year of competitive basketball in some capacity. The team is nicknamed the Millionaires.
You can RP any theme you want against us. Keep in mind that because our players are young and filthy rich, they have a tendency to be very stuck up and arrogant.
Here are the winning bidders:
Coach: Andrew Cowan (49)
Asst Coach: Brett Cavosie (33)
Starting Five:
PF: Dennis Stafford (32, 6'8")
SF: Nolan Bauer (31, 6'4")
C: Dane Kallner (30, 6'11")
SG: Stuart Wright (26, 5'10") This guy is awesome behind the arc.
PG: Andrei Peters (28, 6' 1")
Bench:
F: Nathan MacDougal (27, 6'6")
F: Lucas Camerson (27, 6'8")
C: Vaughn Lee (34, 7'2")
G: Terrence Montgomery (21, 6'2")
G: Josef Dawson (25, 6'0")
C: Todd Berry (24, 6'10")
Util: Evan Knudson (28, 6'5")
Stadium: Monopoly Court (17,233 capacity) Tickets for games are sold via an auction three days before game day.
Gerainia - Basic Roster
PF: Dave Parson
SF: Ateni Dvengar
C: Xavié Allin
SG: Thomas Bellwig
PG: Frederick Charles
Reserves - We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Stadium - Cross Court, picture coming soon.
Geran Ministry of Culture and Media
I would post a roster right now, but this dang computer won't accept my flash drive. :sniper:
Pocono City, Newmanistan- The inaugural International Basketball Championship is set to begin, an interregional competition that is being hosted by Dancougar. There are 14 teams participating, and they have been grouped into two groups of seven. We'll get into looking a the competition in a moment, but the question on the minds of Newmanistanians is just how will the Rockets do on the hardwood?
Traditionally, basketball has not been one of the Empire's strong suits. That's not to say it doesn't have a following, because it does, it just ranks behind several other sports in terms of popularity. Early on in regional basketball competitions, this led to the Rockets being one of the less successful teams, as they were often overmatched in the paint, and inside the arc, in general. Why this was the case, is something the Empire has not been able to comprehend, but they just had a hard time matching up, even though they didn't give up much height or physicality to the opponents. As there is no sense in continuing with something that doesn't work, the domestic game shifted to shooting the three pointer over and over and over again. Yes, Newmanistan will take it inside on occasion, because you can't get too predictable, but there should be no mystery for the opponents on how Newmanistan intends to play. Because shooting the three became so popular in the Empire Basketball Association, the commissioner established a "four point line" in order to mix things up. The four point line is located six feet behind the three point line, and thus has led to many Rockets shooters not afraid to pull up and take a shot from behind it. (Newmanistan home courts are a bit wider, we must add, in order to accomodate the additional six feet along the sides of the court. However, in our home games, we will set up the court to be of normal customary dimensions.) Although the four point line will not be used in the International Basketball Championship, the effect that it is used in Newmanistan will still show in the confidence that our players have to shoot from a longer distance, and that is probably the biggest adjustment that our opponents will have to make when playing us. With this new philosophy, Newmanistan gradually improved its basketball status against regional oppoents, therefore they hope to have success at this level.
There could be nothing greater for basketball to rise in popularity within the Empire then for Newmanistan to have success in the IBC. It is the latest sport for the Rockets to take to the interregional level, and while they have won competitions such as the Di Bradini Cup and the Baptism of Fire, a major sporting championship could do absolute wonders for the sport's image within the Empire. It worked for the world's football, as the Empire now has a full scale Premiership on its hands. With success, it could happen on the hardwood as well. Without success, then basketball will likely fall back and take its place once again on the sporting ladder.
As for the details of the IBC, as we mentioned, there are 14 teams, which have been split up into 2 groups. Right now, it's anyone's guess who the top contenders will be, so in a wide open competition, Newmanistan will look to make a statement. The Empire has been placed in Group A, and is joined familiar and unfamiliar nations alike. Kura-Pelland, Dancougar, and Secristan make up the familiar opponents, while Corivia, Gerainia, and Frontenax are the unfamiliar ones. In an interesting twist, Newmanistan will play its first ever interregional game against Kura-Pelland on the road. Does that sound familiar? It should. Newmanistan played their first interregional World Cup qualifying game against Kura-Pelland, on the road. Perhaps that is a good omen, but if nothing else, it is a very ironic coincidence. The Rockets have generated a good world football rivalry with Dancougar, and would love to have the same kind of success in the tournament that they host that they had in the tournament that we hosted. Also familiar, is Secristan. How so? Well, it's good to have a fellow One Big Island nation involved. Newmanistan and Secristan have battled it out on the regional level, and it will make for bragging rights, we're sure, to see which team will come out on top of the other. Corivia and Gerainia are complete unknowns to us, but still must be respected. Frontenax will be a first time opponent, but we caught a glimpse of their nation in BoF 28, and if they play hoops with anywhere near the passion that they play football, they should be a strong contender.
The teams in Group B, we want to mention are also a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar. They are as follows: Arroza, Cafundeu, Kenavt, Kose and The Turkomans, Lovisa, Taeshan, and Xaristan. We expect that to be a hotly contested group as well. Teams will play each other twice, once at home and once on the road, but Newmanistan will not play on their homecourt until Matchday 5. Starting off with three away games and a bye, when Corivia comes to town on that Matchday, you better believe the home fans will be pumped and ready for action.
The Rockets schedule:
GD1- @ Kura-Pelland
GD2- bye
GD3- @ Dancougar
GD4- @ Secristan
GD5- vs Corivia
GD6- vs Frontenax
GD7- @ Gerainia
GD8- vs Kura-Pelland
GD9- bye
GD10- vs Dancougar
GD11- vs Secristan
GD12- @ Corivia
GD13- @ Frontenax
GD14- vs Gerainia
All home games will be played at the basketball court @ the Tundra Falls Proving Grounds.
News article: Resurgens Journal:
Ball ‘Till You Fall, Drink ‘Till You Can’t. (Part I – Knowing your IBC Squad.)
Style: They’re not a big team. They’re not the most physically imposing team. But they can shoot…wait, what do you mean they took that idea already? So the idea of the sniping team is gone already? Dang, so now what am I supposed to do with all these short people?
Style?: Play drunk, foul egregiously, maybe use cheerleaders as human shields, we have no idea. Oooh, we might play some of that street-ball that’s so popular in the inner cities! That’s the ticket, streetball with stunts, and high-flyers! I wonder if we can bring our announcer with us too?
Starters:
P/G: Joshua Staten - 6’0” – 24 – Nickname: Ignition
S/G: Steven McClellan – 6’2” – 19 – Nickname: Jetstream
S/G: LaQuinta Carter – 6’1” – 22 – Nickname: Sniper
P/F: Keyron Doaks – 6’7” – 25 – Nickname: Lights Out
C: Jeremy Saffore – 7’1” – 26 – Nickname: Big Country
Reserves:
P/G: Jane Wesley – 5’10” – 20 – Nickname: Queen Bee
P/G: J.J. Toles – 6’1” – 22 – Nickname: The Jet
S/G: Matt Winston 6’4” – 28 – Nickname: Helicopter
S/G: Erwin Bedwell - 6’4” – 21 – Nickname: Misanthrope
S/F: Talib Greenway – 6’5” – 24 – Nickname: Tropical
P/F: Zachary Robertson - 6’6” – 23 – Nickname: High Z
C: Anson Bol – 6’11” – 19 – Nickname: Windex
Due to Jolt being flaky (and the fact that I can RP from work, but not scorinate :-D), the gameday 1 RP cutoff will be some time this evening between 6-7 PM EDT, so you've got about four more hours or so to get those final posts in!
To get back on schedule, gamedays 2 and 3 will BOTH be scorinated on Friday night, and the RP bonus you accumulate for gameday 2 will also apply to gameday 3. Hopefully that all made sense.
Jolt can try to stop us, but GAME ON, I say!
With the baseball competition not going well, the hopes of Secristan now point to the International Basketball Championships. Twelve of our richest young men have bought the right to participate in this event, which will see them play twelve games in fourteen gamedays. In the tournament, there are fourteen nations, so they were split into two groups of seven. Seems logical enough. Teams were seeded by a random draw, so there was no purchasing which group you ended up in. What a tremendous value, because coach Cowan wanted to be Group A anyway! Monopoly Court in Amherst is the host of each of our home games, and the live auction for tickets will be held three days prior to the gameday, so if you haven't gotten your bids in yet you better not delay much longer!
Secristan's schedule!
Gameday 01 (Wed, June 11): OFF
Gameday 02 (Thu, June 12): @ Kura-Pelland
Gameday 03 (Fri, June 13: @ Frontenax
Gameday 04 (Sat, June 14): vs Newmanistan (Minimum bid: 25R)
Gameday 05 (Sun, June 15): vs Gerainia (Minimum bid: 15R)
Gameday 06 (Mon, June 16): @ Corivia
Gameday 07 (Tue, June 17): vs Dancougar (Minimum bid: 25R)
Gameday 08 (Thu, June 19): OFF
Gameday 09 (Fri, June 20): vs Kura-Pelland (Minimum bid: 20R)
Gameday 10 (Sat, June 21): vs Frontenax (Minimum bid: 15R)
Gameday 11 (Sun, June 22): @ Newmanistan
Gameday 12 (Mon, June 23: @ Gerainia
Gameday 13 (Tue, June 24): vs Corivia (Minimum bid: 10R)
Gameday 14 (Wed, June 25): @ Dancougar
Okay, gameday 1 cutoff NOW!
Corivia 98 @ Dancougar 93
Gerainia 94 @ Frontenax 97
Newmanistan 101 @ Kura-Pelland 108
Arroza 79 @ Cafundeu 93
Kose and the Turkomans 105 @ kenavt 91
Taeshan 97 @ Lovisa 111
GROUP A W L PF PA
Kura-Pelland 1 0 108 101
Corivia 1 0 98 93
Frontenax 1 0 97 94
Secristan 0 0 0 0
Gerainia 0 1 94 97
Dancougar 0 1 93 98
Newmanistan 0 1 101 108
GROUP B W L PF PA
Lovisa 1 0 111 97
Kose/Turkomans 1 0 105 91
Cafundeu 1 0 93 79
Xaristan 0 0 0 0
Taeshan 0 1 97 111
kenavt 0 1 91 105
Arroza 0 1 79 93
Gamedays 2 and 3 will both be scorinated in 29 hours, I won't try to squish another one in today. RP you earn in that period will determine your bonus for both games.
Finally, the CBC-U (Confederação de Basquete Cafundelense - Unissex) released the names of the players. They were late, and in the first game the classic purple-yellow shirts of the players won't have their names written on it. The confusion happened because an employee of the CBC send to Dancougar by fax a list with only the names of the male players... and the ones that have played in the last Olympics! So, a completely wrong list, that had to be corrected. Now this is done:
Starters (use the names in bold - don't put their names in RPs entirely in capital letters, please):
Number- Name (position - team - gender)
1- LEANDRO LOBO (C - Cafundó do Juta - M)
5- MICHEL de Andrade Couto (PG - 25 de Maio - M)
7- ANDRÉ Lumar Valgário "TORRE" (SG - 25 de Maio - M)
10- Heloísa Nascimento "HELÔ" (PF - Real Lasft - F)
13- JUNO Polack (SF - Universidade Católica - F)
Bench:
2- Fágner Olivares "XORORÓ" (SF/PF - ICE - M)
3- Miguel ORTEGA (SF - Real Lasft - M)
6- DANIELA Barnel Mocco (PG - Universidade Católica - F)
8- GABRIEL Antônio Morales (C - 25 de Maio - M)
11- Carolina Moraes "LINA" (C - Legião Titã - F)
17- CÉSAR Oscar Frigini (SG/PG - Cafundó do Juta - M)
19- Ana Luiza Nassau "ANINHA" (PF - Guaraense - F)
22- Kelson Moreno Silva ROLDEN (SG - Guardas do Presídio - M)
Home games played in:
Quadra Universidade Católica (cap. 20,000), in Cafundó do Juta
Clube 25 de Maio (cap. 35,000), in Lasft
Cume da Montanha (cap. 17,000), in Central City
Clube Náutico (cap. 22,000), in Porto Lacruz
Centro de Eventos Arlindo Murchid (cap. 15,000), in Dunboor
Poiuytrewq-The International Basketball Championship team for Kenavt lost their first game at the Coliseum yesterday. The score was 105-91.
Connor da Vincho led all players with 35 points. Thomas Vanek also grabbed twelve rebounds, and had a couple of blocks. However, Kose, led by their tall centerman, just dominated the offensive board and had many second opportunities. Clearly the Kenavt team doesn't have enough experience.
Coach Larry Burble went even farther: "We just didn't have it today. Our shots were going off the rim and then Kose crashed the board. We could shoot from the outside sometimes, but we never really got a run going. We deserved to lose-and practice won't be fun tomorrow."
Here is Kenavt's schedule so far:
Record: 0-1
GD1: Kose and the Turkomans 105 Kenavt 91 L
GD2: Kenavt at Arroza
GD3: Xaristan at Kenavt
GD4: Cafundeu at Kenavt
GD5: BYE
GD6: Kenavt at Taeshan
GD7: Kenavt at Lovisa
GD8: Kenavt at Kose and the Turkomans
GD9: Arroza at Kenavt
GD10: Kenavt at Xaristan
GD11: Kenavt at Cafundeu
GD12: BYE
GD13: Taeshan at Kenavt
GD14: Lovisa at Kenavt
Trilan, Kura-Pelland- Now, basketball and the world's football have something in common, in terms of Newmanistanian interregional history. Just as Newmanistan's football team did in their first official World Cup qualification game, the basketball team went to Kura-Pelland, and found themselves defeated. The final score on the evening, Aces 108, Rockets 101.
It was a contrast in styles in the way both teams went about their business. No surprise for Newmanistan, as they were shooting the three all over the place. Initially, they had quite a bit of success as this, as they nailed a three on six of their first eight possessions, and opened up an 18-8 lead early (the biggest lead the Rockets would enjoy). The Aces were not as willing to shoot from the outside, as even though it is not the forte of their team, they also knew that the Rockets would be vulnerable on the inside. So they took their time, using much of the shot clock, with smooth but crisp passing and solid passing, were able to set themselves up into great scoring positions. The forwards, Ulrich and Grade were, in particular, enjoying success with the Rockets defense. As the Rockets began to get ice cold from behind the arc, the Aces not only chipped away at the deficit, but pulled in front, way in front. Kura-Pelland was also dominating on the boards, getting plenty of second and third chance opportunities in which they capitalized. They did a good job, then, of slowing down the pace of the game, and working their system to the tune of a 49-27 lead with just under three minutes to go. However, a decent Newmanistan run to close out the half put your halftime score at 55-40. Kory Klassen led the Rockets in scoring with 19.
At halftime, Phil McDowell was not happy with the defense. You just can't allow 55 points in one half and expect to win. Coming into the tournament, defense was percieved to be the weakness of the Empire, and it was certainly showing against a team like Kura-Pelland, whose players always seemed to be in the right spot at the right time. They would have to hope for the Aces to cool down, but they also knew that they, themselves, had to improve from behind the arc. After the initial 6-for-8, the Rockets shot 23% from behind the 3-point line the rest of the half.
When shooting threes is your custom, you get very predictable when trying to overcoming a deficit like the Rockets were in. Kura-Pelland had always been playing tough perimeter defense, but they were even more aggressive with it at the start of the half, and Newmanistan continued to have trouble. The Aces continued to shoot as they had all game long, and quickly established their huge lead again, going up at one point, 83-56, their biggest lead of the game. Then came a turning point. Kory Klassen nailed a long three, and was fouled, setting up the four point play. But he missed the free throw, which was rebounded by Tank Nelson. Nelson kicked it out to Garrett York who nailed a three. Then, using the full court press, York intercepted the pass and set up Klassen for another three. Klassen was fouled, again, and this time made the free throw. In a span of about ten seconds, the Rockets had cut 10 points off the deficit. Gradually over the next six minutes, the Rockets were chipping away at the lead, and The Unity Arena faithful were starting to get antsy. With 1:19 remaining, Newmanistan had closed all the way to 99-97. The Aces aren't known for three point shooting, but Michael Melbridge hit a clutch one to put his team back up by five. Down the stretch, the Rockets sent Aces players to the line, but Kura-Pelland nailed the free throws they needed to, and scored what ended up being a 108-101 result.
It's a defeat that really showed what Newmanistan's tournament experience will be like. Loving to shoot the three, but being vulnerable on defense. But they showed some heart and character, despite being down by 27 points at one time, they battled back to come to within two before the big shot by Melbridge. Upcoming, the Rockets will have their bye, and then travel to Dancougar.
In short time twelve of Secristan's richest young men who have spent hard to purchase their spots on the team will be looking to show the world that you can indeed buy a championship. After the first gameday, the Millionaires are in fourth place without even having to have played a game, ahead of the likes of Dancougar and Newmanistan so already they are off to a good start. Now, they will try to move up the standings by their performances on the court and from what we have heard the team is looking good in practice as they prepare for their first game in Kura-Pelland.
According to coach Cowan, the team is "looking like they may actually deserve to be here on merit. Wright and Peters are showing good form and in watching the tapes of the Aces first game we saw that they could be suspectible from outside the arc. That might just get incorporated into our gameplan."