22nd International Basketball Championships IC Thread

[Ethane]

Results - Match Day 4

Group A
Free Republics 79–78 Anglatia
Abanhfleft 80–69 Abaja

Group A                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                   3    3   0   224  184  +40     9
2 Abaja                                        4    3   1   313  293  +20     9
3 Free Republics                               3    1   2   193  235  −42     3
4 Anglatia                                     3    1   2   246  244   +2     3
5 Republic of Rawn                             3    0   3   222  242  −20     0

Group B
Valladares 75–71 Oisinistan
Vangaziland 119–77 Flardania

Group B                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Valladares                                   3    3   0   235  215  +20     9
2 Vangaziland                                  3    2   1   269  205  +64     6
3 Flardania                                    4    2   2   312  340  −28     6
4 Equatorial Zeldaen                           3    1   2   194  234  −40     3
5 Oisinistan                                   3    0   3   210  226  −16     0

Group C
Drawkland 79–63 West Phoenicia
Vettrera 83–60 Chromatika

Group C                                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                                    3    3   0   258  210  +48     9
2 West Phoenicia                               3    2   1   231  199  +32     6
3 Vettrera                                     3    2   1   234  217  +17     6
4 Gregoryisgodistan                            3    1   2   206  213   −7     3
5 Chromatika                                   4    0   4   249  339  −90     0

Group D
Dimetrija 75–85 United States of Devonta
Ceni 57–76 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group D                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta                     3    3   0   252  214  +38     9
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                      4    3   1   305  288  +17     9
3 95X                                          3    1   2   223  231   −8     3
4 Ceni                                         3    1   2   197  219  −22     3
5 Dimetrija                                    3    0   3   216  241  −25     0

Group E
Ethane 83–92 Frenline Delpha
Jeckland 76–81 Kaboomlandia

Group E                                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Frenline Delpha                              3    3   0   237  217  +20     9
2 Kaboomlandia                                 4    2   2   281  310  −29     6
3 Jeckland                                     3    2   1   239  220  +19     6
4 Ethane                                       3    1   2   235  225  +10     3
5 Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan       3    0   3   206  226  −20     0

Group F
Qasden 77–100 Bendicion
Cosumar 91–62 Natanians and Nosts

Group F                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                                      3    3   0   232  192  +40     9
2 Bendicion                                    3    2   1   272  221  +51     6
3 Qasden                                       3    1   2   218  235  −17     3
4 Natanians and Nosts                          4    1   3   284  336  −52     3
5 Titovija                                     3    1   2   197  219  −22     3

Group G
Saint Kanye 91–65 Main Nation Ministry
Nova Anglicana 63–74 West Saintland

Group G                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Saint Kanye                                  3    3   0   253  193  +60     9
2 Pittopi                                      3    3   0   251  226  +25     9
3 West Saintland                               4    2   2   295  306  −11     6
4 Nova Anglicana                               3    0   3   200  234  −34     0
5 Main Nation Ministry                         3    0   3   234  274  −40     0

Group H
Unified Sunrise Islands 94–91 Locuterris
Nueva Andalusia 79–64 Valanora

Group H                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Unified Sunrise Islands                      3    3   0   276  241  +35     9
2 Valanora                                     4    2   2   317  286  +31     6
3 Gandak                                       3    1   2   227  230   −3     3
4 Locuterris                                   3    1   2   250  290  −40     3
5 Nueva Andalusia                              3    1   2   223  246  −23     3

[Bendicion]

Aspiring Eagles

1900
Downtown New Sarum

---

The team was on the team bus as it drove across the busy streets of New Sarum, bumper to bumper traffic made their progress go slowly. Coach was already fuming, they had a scheduled night practice, unknown to the team which was busy watching their last games vs Titovija and Qasden.

Coach joined along. He walked into the room where the team was watching just as there was 1:15 minutes left at the clock. He looked closely at the television set, as well as most of the team.

CMMNTR 1:"Gentlemen! This is yet to be one of the IBC's best games!! Toe to toe fight here in New Sarum as Bendicion and Titovija clash on for the last seconds of the 4th quarter."
CMMNTR 2: "Thats right Tom! After more than 3 hard fought quarters its all up to this point now! The score folks is a nail-biting 65-62, Titovija leading by 3 points. There's less than 2 minutes left and its Bendian ball."

PRRTT!

CMMNTR 1:"And here it goes folks!!"
CMMNTR 2:"Kurozov inbounds to Paul! He is guarded by Porter.... he does a behind the back moved and..OH!! What a pass to Barnes! Shoots for a 3!!"

CMMNTR 1:"Bang!"
CMMNTR 2:"Its in! Barnes hits the 3! 65-65 Its a tie game! The crowd goes wild!!"
CMMNTR 1:"Timeout called by Titovija. Their coach seems to be not that happy. There's merely 57 seconds left on the clock now."
CMMNTR 2:" I bet this is far from sealed Rick. 57 seconds is still a good time for maybe what? 3 possesions? or maybe 2."

PRRTT!

CMMNTR 1:"There goes the whistle! Titovija ball! Inbound by their point guard to their center??? Yes it's the center! He passes it back to the guard and...oh what a steal by Kurozov! Fastbreak! Kurozov passes to Griffin, behind the back to Paul and... ALLEY OOP BACK TO GRIFFIN for a dunk! Griffin dunks! Sheer amazement here folks!!"
..

CMMNTR 2:"Did i just see what I saw?? Was that possible!??"
CMMNTR 1:"It aint probable, but it was possible Tom, hahaha."
CMMNTR 2:"65-67 Bendicion leading by 2.Titovija ball. 35 seconds on the clock. Here goes the inbound, they keep possession on the ball. Theyre passing it to and fro folks.The SG drives! 25 seconds on the clock. Jumps! No he passes to the waiting SF on the left. He shoots!"
CMMNTR 1:"It bounces off the rim!! Rebounded by......Titovija has the ball! They take it near the half court line. Their PG has the ball. He is saying orders."
CMMNTR 2:"Less than 11 seconds left..they have the last possession. The Bendian team scrambles to block his way. 6 seconds left, the PG struggles to make his move! He passes to the PF! Desperately shoots for a 3................ITS IN!!! What a shot!! That folks is a gre........

Coach turns off the television set. "No point in looking at the rest of the video... learn from your mistakes. Your defense was too slow at that point. You guys, got a bit relaxed after that 3 pointer."

Roberts stands up and speaks, "Coach, we know what you mean. We learned what you wanted, and learned it the hard way".

Coach glares."Then better catch up in my drills tonight". He leaves to the driver's seat to watch the traffic situation.

"Oh well,lets just watch last night's game then."

The team turns back its attention to the TV and they watch their last game which ended in a great rout for the Qasden veterans.

CMMNTR: Well folks, after a grueling and one-sided game, the Bendicion Eagles smash down returnees Qasden Vans in a 23 point lead. Paul leads Bendicion with more than 36 points, 15 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. He is followed by Griffin with 27 points and Kurozov, 24 points.

REPORTER:"Coach Donovan!! Coach! What can you say of the team's performance tonight?"
COACH DONOVAN:"This was not the overall good performance i needed out of this guys. But I congratulate them, cuz ive seen worse. Hahaha."
REPORTER:"Coach what can you can say of the individual performances of the team then?"
COACH DONOVAN:"The guys did an excellent job. We were excellent at the defensive side. Paul made great use of the lanes and our big men did great at the zone."
REPORTER:"Thanks coach! There you have it guys! A great win for Bendicion as they scale up the standings"

The bus stops and the team members standing fall off from their footing, due to Newtons 1st Law of Motion, and tumble on top of the other. "Ouch!! O'Neal youre too damn heavy!!", shouts Reddick."Sorry! Sorry! Ill get few pounds out soon",Shak replies.

The team leave the bus and overlook to see a basketball court surrounded by walls. Coach Donovan interjects,suprising them,"Gentlemen, welcome to The Arena, this will be our basketball world. No buts and no excuses. Once you enter The Arena, you have to complete every single training that I'm giving you. If you fail, you have to pay dinner, and if at least 4 of you succeed, then you get 2 hours of all you can eat to the first 4 that finishes the trials, and who'll pay for this? The ones who dont finish."

Coach Jones briefs them on their training exercise."2 shootarounds, 5 dribbling trials, 5 endurance tests and 1 scrimmage. Ok people lets move it!"

The team enter The Arena, opening a new chapter to our your players, aspiring Bendian Eagles...

[Saint Kanye]

IBC 22: SURGE WIN BIG AGAIN
Kanyeans now top Group G after crushing MNM

by Dante Dinkley

MERSEYSHORE - The St. Kanye Surge national basketball team make it back-to-back blowout wins after a 91-65 bullying of Main Nation Ministry at the 22nd International Basketball Championships group stages here in Ethane. The Yeezies are now #1 in Group G, tying Pittopi in wins with three apiece in three games, but having the higher point difference at +60 to Pittopi's +25. This point difference means that the all-new Kanyean team has been winning games by an average of twenty points. Three-point specialist Victor McLain led the Surge, who played in purple, with 22 points, including six threes. Brock Dotson and Michael Porter had 13 points each. Meanwhile, Main Nation Ministry slipped to dead last, tying the Nova Anglicana Lions at three losses in three games, but with the worse quotient (-40 vs. -34).

Still riding on the momentum coming from yesterday's huge victory over West Saintland, the Surge struck first, struck early and struck often, jumping to a 25-6 first quarter performance. And they never looked back, making runs throughout the game to pull away and increase their lead, with some bench players having their moments. The exhausted MNM players rotated between starters and bench players, but they simply could not keep up. The 2,614 Kanyeans at Gabriel Arena and the thousands more watching outside, at the hotels, and back at hone were definitely pleased with the show that the national team has put on. "Definitely gonna watch again if the team keeps doing such great work every game", said Surge supporter Carlos Tully, 58.

St. Kanye faces Pittopi tomorrow, in a clash of two undefeated teams. "The most dangerous thing about this Pittopi team is not what we know about them, but what we don't know. We will be unable to come up with any single strategy against a team so secretive, so we're going to have to prepare for everything. Will we be going to stop a fiery offense, or try to break through an intense defense. Work against speed or height. Coach [Anton] Spoletto and I, as well as the boys will study and practice every scenario", said Surge assistant coach Bernard Foley. After the Pittopi game, all IBC 22 teams will take a day off from competition. The Surge will use this day for practice in the morning, and rest in the afternoon. Unlike last season, the team has not arranged friendlies with other teams, but that may change.

Scores:

ST. KANYE 91 - McLain 22, Dotson 13, Porter 13, Jackson 10, Duff 9, Pond 9, Walker 7, Levy 5, Coyle 3, Adams 0, Lopez 0, Norris 0.

MAIN NATION MINISTRY 65 - Individual scores not available.

Quarters: 25-6, 45-20, 72-39, 91-65.

---

Around the IBC

by the Kibitzer Research Department

GROUP A: ABANHFLEFT 80, ABAJA 69

The Abaja Lions (3-1) played their hearts out against the Abanhfleft Rebs (3-0), but it was the Fleftics, the defending champs, who would remain undefeated in Group A.

GROUP B: VANGAZILAND 119, FLARDANIA 77

Vangaziland (2-1) put on the highest scoring performance so far by an IBC 22 team and flattened Flardania (2-2) by 42 points.

GROUP C: VETTRERA 83, CHROMATIKA 60

Vettrera (2-1) moved up to third in their group with a victory, and made Chromatika (0-4) close out the first half of the group stages without a win.

GROUP D: ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC 76, CENI 57

The battle between the hosts of the two most recent IBCs ended with Quebec (3-1, co-host of IBC 21 with Drawkland) on top of Ceni (1-2, sole host of IBC 20 where the Surge took the title).

GROUP E: FRENLINE DELPHA 92, ETHANE 83

The hosts lose by nine and sink to 1-2, while the Anacondas go 3-0 and claim the top spot of this group.

GROUP F: BENDICION 100, QASDEN 77

Point guard Chris Paul was the Bendicion Eagles' (2-1) go-to guy against the Qasden Vans (1-2), as he finished with a double-double of 36 points and 15 assists.

GROUP G: WEST SAINTLAND 74, NOVA ANGLICANA 63

The Sanctii (2-2) bounce back after yesterday's huge loss to the Surge, denying the Nova Anglicana Lions (0-3) of their first win in the tournament.

GROUP H: NUEVA ANDALUSIA 79, VALANORA 64

The Nueva Andalusia Horneros (1-2) finally get into the win column by stunning Valanora's old elves (2-2).

---

Game Schedule - Group G

Surge Record So Far: 3-0

Matchday 1: BREAK
Matchday 2: W 72-61 vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 3: W 90-67 vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 4: W 91-65 vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR*)
Matchday 5: White Jerseys vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Matchday 6: BREAK
Matchday 7: White Jerseys vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 8: Purple Jerseys vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 9: White Jerseys vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR)
Matchday 10: Purple Jerseys vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Playoffs

*Unranked.

All games televised live through SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and streamed on ibc-tv.stk.

[Abanhfleft]

A Tale of Two Brothers, Part Two

The subject of the Nordskanian Revolution was not brought up once again following that disastrous dinner, and eventually even Nordskania itself became a taboo subject within the Zima household. Just as well, Vitaly Zima thought, as it meant that his twin brother Arkadi would finally shut up about the whole thing. But in their own time, both Arkadi and Vitaly were keeping themselves updated with the Nordskanian Revolution. Vitaly’s main interest was in monitoring the situation and trying to gauge if, as he had heard from the news before, the Anglatians were indeed behind this revolution. It was after all an open secret that the Nordskanians were funding Anglatia’s own rebellion in southern Valeria, so this was most probably just Emperor Colden getting his revenge on the communists. Vitaly hoped that if he could get conclusive proof that this was a “guided” revolution and not an organically organized one, whatever the hell that meant, it would finally dissuade Arkadi from going abroad and fighting for this “revolution”.

But it appeared as if even the specter of a guided revolution was not going to be enough to convince Arkadi not to go to Nordskania. This was the first time that it had been said that Arkadi Zima had fallen in love with the nation and concept of Nordskania. It didn’t matter if it was actually foreigners which were pulling the strings behind this revolution; the people of Nordskania were finally fighting against their oppressive regime, and Arkadi would do anything to be a part of it, forget what his own twin brother thought about it and about him.

The next time that the subject of Nordskania was raised between the two brothers, it was during a training session for Imperial Markovsky just days before their 18th birthday. Both Arkadi and Vitaly had been picked up by Imperial’s academy by virtue of their father being a member of the club staff at just the age of six, but even then, it was obvious to the club who was going to be the better player. While they were different kinds of players (Arkadi was a central midfielder while Vitaly was an out-and-out striker) Arkadi was already showing signs and potential that he could become a world-class midfielder, and this had earned him call-ups to the Fleftic youth squads from the under-15s to the under-18s. Vitaly, meanwhile, while he had been scouted a few times by the Samahang Futbol ng Abanhfleft, had not done enough to merit even a single call-up from the association.

Arkadi’s skills meant that he was very close to earning a spot in Imperial’s first team, perhaps even their starting eleven. Vitaly, meanwhile, would probably not even get close to the bench unless injuries and the transfer market decimated the team’s forwards. But right now that mattered little to the club because, at 18 years, all Fleftic citizens were required to serve in any branch of the armed forces for at least one year as mandated by law. It was a moment which both Zima brothers had not been really looking forward to, but as their birthday got closer, Vitaly had noticed that Arkadi had taken an interest in the mandatory service law and if there was any way around it. Not that Arkadi should’ve been worried. As members of a sporting association, both he and Vitaly could choose to exempt themselves from mandatory service at 18 years old to focus on their athletic careers. They would still have to serve in the armed forces at some point during or after their career.

“Arkadi, Vitaly, a word, please,” the academy trainer called out to the twins during that particular training session. The twins looked at each other as they wrapped up their individual drills and then walked off the training pitch and towards the staff dugout. “Sit down, sit, sit,” the trainer told them as they arrived. Vitaly and Arkadi sat down on the cushioned seats for the staff and waited for the trainer to finish writing down his notes.

The trainer finally put down his clipboard, and then he looked at the twins and said, “Boys, in the next few days, you’re both going to turn 18. Now, we all know what that means for you two. So, boys, what are your plans? Are you going to sign up and serve your country on the battlefield or are you going to exempt yourselves and serve the country on the pitch?”

“You, Arkadi, what are you going to do?” the trainer asked him in particular. “The Army would certainly understand if you chose to exempt yourself from service. I mean, you have played for the national youth sides from the under-15s to the under-18s, after all.”

“I’ve been thinking about it, gaffer,” Arkadi replied. “And while I don’t know if this is going to be the right decision, I think I’m going to take that exemption. I don’t know if I’m cut out for fighting for Abanhfleft.”

“Oh, don’t downplay yourself like that, Arkadi,” the trainer said. “My grandfather also didn’t think that he was cut out for serving Abanhfleft, but then he got drafted into the Army anyway. He served during the invasion of Nessendorma, and he even got a Silver Star and a Purple Heart for his actions. So, you see, sometimes the best fighters come from those who think they can’t fight.”

“Yeah, but I’m still going to take that exemption,” Arkadi said, not appearing to have heard what the trainer just said.

“Okay, then,” the trainer said. “I’ll just deal with the red tape and file the proper paperwork then. Let the DoD know that you’re exempting yourself. How about you, Vitaly? Are you signing up or exempting yourself?”

“I’m signing up,” Vitaly declared. “But I’ll probably wait a week or two after my birthday before joining up. I need to take care of a few things first, and what I’ve got right now isn’t going to cut it, unfortunately.

“Okay,” the trainer muttered. “That’s going to require a whole other load of paperwork, but I think I can do it as well.”

“I know you can, boss,” Vitaly said with a wry smile.

“All right, that’s enough talking. Back to training with you two!”

“So you’re going to sign up for the army, are you, Vichka?” Arkadi asked as they got back to work on their training. “How about your career, man?”

“Eh, it can always wait,” Vitaly said with a shrug. “It’s not like the team’s going to miss me while I’m gone. How about you, though? You’re on your way to the first team already, and you’re not yet even 18. Good thing for the team you’re staying and exempting yourself. I mean, you are exempting yourself for the team, aren’t you? You’re not just using this opportunity to go fight someplace else?”

“Whatever gave you that idea, brother?” Arkadi asked with a neutral expression.

“Well, I do remember you saying clearly that you’d love nothing more than to fight for Nordskania during dinner a long time ago.”

“Can’t a man change his mind, brother?” Arkadi asked. “Let’s just say that I got carried away that night and that I said some things which I really shouldn’t have said. Maybe now’s not the right time for us to be talking about Nordskania, though.”

“Are you sure about that, Kachka?” Vitaly asked in reply. “You seemed really determined to go to Nordskania and fight for them all those nights ago.”

“Like I said, a man’s got the right to change his mind. Let’s leave it at that, da?”

“Now you just sound like a woman,” Vitaly muttered, which earned him a good-natured push from Arkadi.

---

”Arkadi!” Vitaly called out. “Hey, Arkadi!” he shouted as he tried to rub away the vestiges of sleep from the corners of his eyes. It had been the day after their 18th birthday, or more accurately the day after they had celebrated their 18th birthday the way they really wanted to celebrate: with a night out on the town. Of course, they had to be home before three o’clock, and they had more training waiting for them today, but overall, it had been very much worth it.

“Arkadi, it’s time for you to get back to training and for me to say my goodbyes to the team before I go off to enlist,” Vitaly said as he yawned widely. When nobody answered him, he called out again, “Arkadi? Hey, man, I thought you were made of stronger stuff than that! This is no time to oversleep, bro. Sure, last night was such a wild ride, but I’m already over it and regretting it. So should you.”

Vitaly stopped right in front of the door to Arkadi’s room. “Hey, Arkadi, wakey wakey!” Vitaly said. Once again, no one answered. “All right, Kachka, this is serious now,” Vitaly said. “I’m going to knock on your door now! I know how you hate people knocking on your door!” Vitaly then made to rap sharply on Arkadi’s door, but as soon as his fist landed on the wooden door, it swung open, which set off all kinds of alarms in Vitaly’s head. “Arkadi, is everything okay?” Vitaly asked as he entered his brother’s room.

There didn’t appear to be any signs of foul play. That was the first thing that came to Vitaly’s mind as he scanned Arkadi’s room, and then he shook his head to clear his mind. That’s what you get for watching too many crime shows, Vichka, he told himself. Then he focused himself on the scene once again. Arkadi’s bed appeared unmade, as if he had just slept in it. The closet door was ajar, and some of his clothes were missing, along with a backpack. The window was wide open, and a slight breeze from outside was blowing in and giving Vitaly unexpected chills. “What the heck is going on here?” he asked himself.

That was when Vitaly noticed something on Arkadi’s bed. He quickly picked it up and looked at it. It was a Nordskanian postcard.

“Arkadi, you slippery bastard,” Vitaly found himself saying.

[Ethane]

Gingerbread Men on Sale in New Sarum, Ethane.

Cutoff.

[Ethane]

Results - Match Day 5

Group A
Anglatia 83–81 Abanhfleft
Republic of Rawn 91–63 Free Republics

Group A                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                   4    3   1   305  267  +38     9
2 Abaja                                        4    3   1   313  293  +20     9
3 Anglatia                                     4    2   2   329  325   +4     6
4 Republic of Rawn                             4    1   3   313  305   +8     3
5 Free Republics                               4    1   3   256  326  −70     3

Group B
Oisinistan 66–86 Vangaziland
Equatorial Zeldaen 88–84 Valladares

Group B                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Valladares                                   4    3   1   319  303  +16     9
2 Vangaziland                                  4    3   1   355  271  +84     9
3 Flardania                                    4    2   2   312  340  −28     6
4 Equatorial Zeldaen                           4    2   2   282  318  −36     6
5 Oisinistan                                   4    0   4   276  312  −36     0

Group C
West Phoenicia 67–74 Vettrera
Gregoryisgodistan 74–72 Drawkland

Group C                                     Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                                    4    3   1   330  284  +46     9
2 Vettrera                                     4    3   1   308  284  +24     9
3 West Phoenicia                               4    2   2   298  273  +25     6
4 Gregoryisgodistan                            4    2   2   280  285   −5     6
5 Chromatika                                   4    0   4   249  339  −90     0

Group D
United States of Devonta 62–84 Ceni
95X 84–60 Dimetrija

Group D                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta                     4    3   1   314  298  +16     9
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                      4    3   1   305  288  +17     9
3 95X                                          4    2   2   307  291  +16     6
4 Ceni                                         4    2   2   281  281    0     6
5 Dimetrija                                    4    0   4   276  325  −49     0

Group E
Frenline Delpha 65–73 Jeckland
Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan 75–81 Ethane

Group E                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Jeckland                                     4    3   1   312  285  +27     9
2 Frenline Delpha                              4    3   1   302  290  +12     9
3 Ethane                                       4    2   2   316  300  +16     6
4 Kaboomlandia                                 4    2   2   281  310  −29     6
5 Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan       4    0   4   281  307  −26     0

Group F
Bendicion 79–95 Cosumar
Titovija 64–74 Qasden

Group F                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                                      4    4   0   327  271  +56    12
2 Bendicion                                    4    2   2   351  316  +35     6
3 Qasden                                       4    2   2   292  299   −7     6
4 Natanians and Nosts                          4    1   3   284  336  −52     3
5 Titovija                                     4    1   3   261  293  −32     3

Group G
Main Nation Ministry 63–79 Nova Anglicana
Pittopi 57–73 Saint Kanye

Group G                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Saint Kanye                                  4    4   0   326  250  +76    12
2 Pittopi                                      4    3   1   308  299   +9     9
3 West Saintland                               4    2   2   295  306  −11     6
4 Nova Anglicana                               4    1   3   279  297  −18     3
5 Main Nation Ministry                         4    0   4   297  353  −56     0

Group H
Locuterris 60–91 Nueva Andalusia
Gandak 75–62 Unified Sunrise Islands

Group H                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Unified Sunrise Islands                      4    3   1   338  316  +22     9
2 Nueva Andalusia                              4    2   2   314  306   +8     6
3 Gandak                                       4    2   2   302  292  +10     6
4 Valanora                                     4    2   2   317  286  +31     6
5 Locuterris                                   4    1   3   310  381  −71     3

[Saint Kanye]

IBC 22: WE'RE ON A ROLL!
Surge stay undefeated, sink Pittopi 73-57

by Claude Harlan

MERSEYSHORE - After a matchday that saw several surprise wins and losses (see Around the IBC, below), only two teams in the 22nd International Basketball Championships here in Ethane remained with a perfect record. One is the Cosumar Stallions, champions of IBC 18, of Group F. The other is another champion team, from IBC 20, our very own St. Kanye Surge. Both teams similarly have four wins in as many games played.

The Yeezies started this day tied at 3-0 with unranked, unknown nation Pittopi, who just happened to be their next opponent. That means that one of these two nations is bound to have its first loss of the competition. Kanyean head coach Anton Spoletto, his assistant Bernard Foley, and the Surge players had an intense training session the previous night, not knowing at all what to expect from Pittopi. And it really paid off, as Joel Pond scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead St. Kanye to a 73-57 triumph over their mysterious opponents. "While the game went on, we found out more about Pittopi. What we did to win was exploit all the weaknesses we found out about their players." The Surge forced 14 turnovers against Pittopi and scored 29 points off them, in contrast with Pittopi's five turnovers forced and only eight points off them.

The Surge, who wore white, had a slow start, trailing 5-12 after 6:35 of play, but then managed to stay on pace with Pittopi, reducing the lead to just one, 16-17, at the end of the first quarter. They then took the lead with 7:27 left in the second quarter, 22-21, with a corner three by Victor McLain off a steal by Michael Porter. The Kanyeans then started a run, defending well to make more shot opportunities for themselves, that enabled them to take the lead for good. The first half ended with a one-handed slam dunk from the 5'10" Surge reserve point guard Norman Walker to make the score 38-25, Kanyean lead.

In the second half, the Surge just kept doing what they've been doing, stealing the ball, blocking shots and out-rebounding the competition to give them more shot attempts. Pittopi had a run themselves, making two straight threes from their small forward to close the gap to five, 42-37 with 6:10 left in the third, but any further run was prevented. Minutes later, Pond powered through two defenders to make a dunk and draw a foul, making the free throw, to close out thirty minutes of play with his team ahead 52-40.

Pittopi never really threatened in the fourth. The closest they got was eight, 55-47 Surge, with 8:02 left in the game. After a three by Josh Jackson to make it 58-47, the lead never came back to single digits. Pittopi had the final possession with 0:03 left, and their point guard was intentionally left unguarded by the Kanyeans. Despite this, the Pittopi PG didn't make the shot, and the game ended with the Surge winners by sixteen, 73-57. They now own a +76 point differential, second-highest in the entire IBC; Vangaziland is +84, but they have one loss, a 75-76 squeaker against Valladares in Matchday 2. Third highest is Cosumar, the other 4-0 team, with +56.

Tomorrow will be a rest day for all IBC teams, with competition resuming the day after. However, since the day after tomorrow is also a break for the Surge, Coaches Spoletto and Foley decided that the team's rest day will be that day, with all of tomorrow being reserved for practice. "We can't get cocky just because we beat everyone else once already. In fact, we need to prepare more since the other four teams [in Group G] will be finding ways to stop us on our next meetings", said assistant coach Foley.

Scores:

ST. KANYE 73 - Pond 18, Jackson 15, McLain 10, Porter 10, Dotson 7, Coyle 6, Walker 4, Adams 2, Levy 1, Duff 0, Lopez 0, Norris 0.

PITTOPI 57 - Individual scores not available.

Quarters: 16-17, 38-25, 52-40, 73-57.

---

Around the IBC

by the Kibitzer Research Department

GROUP A: ANGLATIA 83, ABANHFLEFT 81

The Anglatia Crusaders (2-2) prevented the defending champ Abanhfleft Rebolusyonaryos (3-1) from sweeping the first half of the group stages, sneaking past them with a two-point victory.

GROUP B: VANGAZILAND 86, OISINISTAN 66

Vangaziland (3-1) both kept Oisinistan (0-4) winless, and themselves with the highest point differential with this twenty-point win.

GROUP C: GREGORYISGODISTAN 74, DRAWKLAND 72

Another big name fell today, as the Gregoryisgodistan Tall Slaves (2-2) upset the Drawkland Net Corp (3-1). Like the Anglatia-Abanhfleft game, this one was decided by the value of a single basket.

GROUP D: CENI 84, UNITED STATES OF DEVONTA 62

US Devonta (3-1) also got its first loss, while Ceni (2-2) broke even on points scored and points allowed, for a point differential of zero.

GROUP E: JECKLAND 73, FRENLINE DELPHA 65

Jeckland (3-1) pulled ahead of the Anacondas (3-1) in the Group E standings, by virtue of the former's win over the latter.

GROUP F: COSUMAR 95, BENDICION 79

The Cosumar Stallions (4-0) protected their perfect record by taking down the upstart Bendicion Eagles (2-2). The margin of victory is the same as St. Kanye over Pittopi.

GROUP G: NOVA ANGLICANA 79, MAIN NATION MINISTRY 63

In Group G, two undefeated teams collided; only one remained. Similarly, two winless teams collided; only one remained. Just as Pittopi suffered its first defeat, the Nova Anglicana Lions (1-3) tasted its first victory, at the expense of MNM (0-4).

GROUP H: GANDAK 75, UNIFIED SUNRISE ISLANDS 62

Still another record tarnished today is that of the USI (3-1), as they lose by a baker's dozen to newbie Gandak (2-2).

---

Game Schedule - Group G

Surge Record So Far: 4-0

Matchday 1: BREAK
Matchday 2: W 72-61 vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 3: W 90-67 vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 4: W 91-65 vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR*)
Matchday 5: W 73-57 vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Matchday 6: BREAK
Matchday 7: White Jerseys vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 8: Purple Jerseys vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 9: White Jerseys vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR)
Matchday 10: Purple Jerseys vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Playoffs

*Unranked.

All games televised live through SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and streamed on ibc-tv.stk.

[Abanhfleft]

A Tale of Two Brothers, Part Three

In the days following the disappearance of Arkadi Zima, everyone had their theories about what had happened and why he had decided to run away, for that was where the evidence was leading: Arkadi had taken some clothes, his identity card, and his passport when he had sneaked out of their home. The only thing that he left behind in his departure was a postcard from Nordskania, and no one really knew what to make of that. No one, that is, except for his own twin brother Vitaly. Vitaly knew his brother well enough that he knew exactly where and why Arkadi had gone when he found that postcard, and he finally understood the things that Arkadi had told him some time ago, back when they had been asked by the staff of Imperial Markovsky whether they would join the army or exempt themselves as athletes.

When Arkadi had said that he didn’t think that he could fight for Abanhfleft, what he actually meant was that he had no intention of fighting for any country other than Nordskania, the country from which his parents had come and the country for which he really wanted to risk his life. Vitaly had to give him credit, though: Arkadi said it in such a way that everyone, himself included, thought that he didn’t think that he had what it takes to be a soldier. Vitaly knew that he had to do something with the information that he had, but he didn’t know what exactly to do with it. So he told the policemen investigating Arkadi’s disappearance about his intentions to fight for Nordskania, and that was what led him to the Ministry of State Security, or rather, that was what led the Ministry of State Security to Vitaly Zima.

With the outbreak of the Nordskanian Revolution, local legislators and lawmakers from Mezaladbyi, where a lot of refugees from Nordskania were living, had passed a law which made it illegal for anyone (from Abanhfleft, not just Mezaladbyi) to go to Nordskania and join the revolutionary fighters in their campaign against the present Communist regime. Of course, that didn’t stop many firebrands, mostly second-generation Nordskanians but also some Fleftics and people of other nationalities, from secretly going to Nordskania, and there was also a secret but widespread campaign throughout the country to recruit the “sons and daughters of Nordskania” to fight for the freedom of their country. The Ministry of State Security had been keeping an eye on these recruitment organizations and on those citizens of Abanhfleft which they managed to convince to join the Nordskanian revolution for some time now, and when Vitaly Zima had told the Markovsky police about the reason why Arkadi Zima had disappeared from his home, the MSS took an interest in the case.

Vitaly was invited to the local MSS headquarters to tell them about the circumstances of Arkadi’s departure. Usually, a visit to the MSS was a bad thing because of their old reputation for being a ruthless secret police for the government, but Vitaly knew that he had nothing to fear today. He was not the accused; he was the accuser, although he didn’t want to think of himself like that. He wasn’t accusing his brother of anything; he just wanted to dissuade him from his revolutionary tendencies and keep him safe for their own family’s sake.

The interrogation took almost two hours. The MSS agents exhaustively grilled Vitaly about every little detail of Arkadi’s desire to fight from Nordskania, from the moment that he heard about the revolution to his secret flight away. Vitaly told the agents everything, from how Arkadi had always been interested in Nordskania to his interest in the progress to the revolution to his visits to the various forums where the recruiters were known to attract young fighters to their cause which Vitaly had discovered through looking at the browsing history of Arkadi’s computer. This made the MSS order the confiscation of all of Arkadi’s computers and phones, at least the ones which he didn’t take with him to Nordskania, so that they could track his virtual footprints and determine how exactly he was recruited to join the Nordskanian Revolution.

Arkadi’s online conversations with his recruiters, the so-called Fleftic-Nordskanian Federatsiya, led the MSS to crack down on the group and its activities. Over a hundred members of the organization were eventually arrested in the operation to bring down the Federatsiya, with many members having been engaged in the process of recruiting Fleftic citizens of Nordskanian descent to join the revolution, indoctrinating those who agreed to become fighters, and then arranging for their travel to Nordskania to join the various rebel factions and volunteer forces in the country fighting against the Nordskanian People’s Army to overthrow the Communist Party. A few volunteers had been caught alongside the Federatsiya’s members during their attempted exit, and these volunteers were now detained to prevent a second attempt to get to Nordskania.

The case of Arkadi Zima was then used by the National Congress as an example of how foreign influence was driving Abanhfleft’s own youth away from their homeland to fight for and in places where no one cared whether they were really dedicated to their cause or just wanted to search for adventure as long as they were shooting the enemy. The fact that Arkadi had used his status as a member of a sports organization to exempt himself from mandatory military service before going off to fight for Nordskania just days after his 18th birthday also called into question the ability of those determined to fight for other countries to bypass Fleftic law through its own rules. In short, Arkadi Zima really messed things up for Abanhfleft.

After informing on his own brother, Vitaly decided to go ahead with his decision to enlist and signed up at the local recruiting depot for his one year of mandatory military service. Vitaly had originally chosen to enlist in the Army, but after getting high scores in the Army Standardized Aptitude Test, he had been given the opportunity to join Abanhfleft’s Strategic Rocket Forces, the unit responsible for most of the Democratic Republic’s nuclear weapons, an opportunity which he immediately accepted. Being with the SRF meant that he would never have to set foot anywhere outside of Abanhfleft, and he wouldn’t even have to hold a rifle against another person. Of course, there was a possibility that Abanhfleft would launch its nuclear missiles at an enemy nation during the time that Vitaly was with the SRF, and that Vitaly would be inevitably killed when someone decided to launch a preemptive or retaliatory strike on his missile base, but the world seemed to be more peaceful than ever before, and he didn’t think that countries would resort to nuclear war at the present time. So Vitaly served with the Strategic Rocket Forces for one year, and then he was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal, and he quickly and immediately returned to Markovsky, to Imperial, and to normal life.

It should be said, though, that in Arkadi’s departure, he left behind not just his own family but someone who was supposed to be very close to his heart. Arkadi had had a girlfriend whom he left behind when he left for Nordskania, and that girl’s name was Marissa Bures. Marissa was a close friend of the Zimas when they were growing up, having been neighbors when the Zimas finally moved from the city to the suburbs. Marissa had already been a pretty girl when she was young, and as she grew up, she became a beautiful young woman, and she took advantage of that fact by taking up a career in modeling. As they grew up, it was inevitable that both Vitaly and Arkadi would develop a crush on Marissa, and it could be said that they both had an equal chance of landing the girl. But, in the end, Vitaly lost out on Arkadi because Vitaly had always been the shy, quiet, and soft-spoken type, the exact opposite of Arkadi’s loud and outgoing personality, and that was how Arkadi ended up getting lucky with Marissa.

But did Marissa get lucky with Arkadi? That was what Vitaly asked himself when he was there to tell Marissa about the news of Arkadi’s flight to Nordskania, and he had seen how that had really broken Marissa and brought her to tears. Ever since they first learned about their origins, Arkadi had always been in love with the concept of Nordskania, as well as the nation itself, and Vitaly knew that for Arkadi, going off to fight for the freedom of Nordskania from the Communist regime was the ultimate expression of love for the land of his parents’ birth.

Of course, Vitaly was secretly jealous that it was Arkadi who got Marissa, but despite his brother being away fighting for the country he wanted to fight for, Vitaly didn’t make any moves on Marissa except to comfort her during the times that she worried about Arkadi’s safety. Vitaly also didn’t try to make Arkadi look bad in her eyes much as he wanted to do so because he knew that Marissa would see hidden motives in his words, and he didn’t want to pushed away by Marissa and leave her all alone. He wasn’t that coldhearted.

Then, one day, Vitaly received a text from Arkadi, saying that he was finally coming home and that he wanted Vitaly to pick him up at the airport, and that if possible, could he bring Marissa with him? Vitaly didn’t know what to make of this message. It had been two years since Arkadi left, and everyone had almost forgotten that he was still alive, but now here he was, about to come home and asking for a ride from his twin brother. Vitaly literally had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Eventually, he decided that since Arkadi had asked him to pick him up, Vitaly was going to do just that. So he borrowed his father’s pickup truck and drove to Samuel Shevchuk International Airport, picking up Marissa on the way because Arkadi wanted to see her on his homecoming as well. It turned out that Marissa had been waiting for this moment for the last two years and was totally prepared to welcome Arkadi back home. She even had that classic cardboard sign with ARKADI ZIMA written in large bold black letters ready to hold up at the arrival concourse to greet Arkadi with.

So Vitaly and Marissa stood in the concourse waiting for Arkadi, Marissa being more excited than Vitaly was really bothered to be. And then, finally, they saw him: Arkadi Zima, wearing a navy blue hoodie and with his now-battered and tattered backpack on his shoulder, was making his way through customs. From this distance, Vitaly couldn’t tell this was still the same Arkadi that he had known, but he was sure that there was now something different in the way he carried himself. It was probably because Arkadi now looked a little bit taller and a little bit bigger. For just a brief moment, Arkadi saw Vitaly and Marissa, and he waved at them and smiled, for he thought that he was finally home.

The man in front of Arkadi finally passed through customs, and then it was Arkadi’s turn. But before he was able to give his passport to the inspector, he was immediately surrounded by two men in suits. It was at that moment that Vitaly knew that he had finally betrayed his brother. Before picking up Marissa and going to the airport, he had gone to the local MSS headquarters and told them about Arkadi’s text to pick him up at the airport. While the MSS was glad for Vitaly’s tip and his cooperation in their investigation, they also revealed that they had already intercepted the text as soon as Vitaly had received it, and that they would have picked him up anyway. Still, they said that it was good to know that Vitaly was doing his part in ensuring the security of the Fleftic state.

Vitaly didn’t say a word about his betrayal, his becoming an informer to his own brother, when he returned home. He didn’t even say that Arkadi had been picked up by the MSS because he hadn’t told anybody aside from Marissa that Arkadi was coming home, not even his own parents and family. They were still thinking that Arkadi was still risking his life in Nordskania, even though the news was saying that the Nordskanian People’s Army were finally conceding defeat in the northern territories and that the northern part of Nordskania had declared its independence as Revolutionary Nordskania. Nobody knew that Arkadi was already back in Abanhfleft except for Vitaly, and while he wasn’t sure why he didn’t tell anybody that Arkadi was already home, he knew that it was the best thing for everyone concerned because being picked up by the MSS was as good as a life sentence even in today’s world.

Then, one day, as he answered someone knocking on the door, there was, much to Vitaly’s surprise, Arkadi Zima standing before him. This closer look at Arkadi finally allowed Vitaly to determine what it was that had changed so much in Arkadi. When he had left Abanhfleft, Arkadi was a clean-shaven man with barely a blemish on his skin. Now, Arkadi was a bearded man with many scratches and scars on his body, and he now had lots of tattoos on his arms and body. All in all, he looked very much like a gangster, which sort of made sense for Vitaly because he’d heard that far from having a recognizable central government, Revolutionary Nordskania was some sort of lawless anarchy land ruled by gangs and whatnot.

Anyway, as his family gathered to finally welcome him back home, Arkadi told them that he had already been in Abanhfleft for the last three weeks, but that he had spent those three weeks detained inside the local MSS headquarters. And while he did know that there was now a hold-and-detain order out for those Fleftics who were coming back from fighting for Revolutionary Nordskania, he had been hoping to get past them somehow. Obviously, that hadn’t happened, but Arkadi also voiced his opinions about why he had been caught. And while his brother didn’t name names, Vitaly knew that Arkadi could be talking about no one other than himself. That was one of the effects of a guilty conscience; everything seemed like they were linked to the crime that Vitaly had committed, the crime of informing on his own brother. As for how he got out from the clutches of the MSS, Arkadi revealed that both the chairman of Imperial Markovsky and someone from the Samahang Futbol ng Abanhfleft had connections with the MSS and let it be known that Arkadi was a future first team player for Imperial and a prospect for recruitment and inclusion into the Fleftic national football team, and that had apparently been enough to convince the MSS to let him go.

Nobody said anything about Arkadi’s time in Nordskania and with the MSS after that, but once he had come back, the relationship between Vitaly and Arkadi had become very, very chilly. But it was only a matter of time before it would heat back up.

[95X]

Jason Ninetyfivex was "in" on a very important yet secret meeting about the future of sports in 95X.

"In conclusion," the presenter wrapped up, "we're very pleased with the results from the field hockey tournament, where repurposed soccer players were reprogrammed to understand field hockey and placed third of all teams in the tournament. As the report mentions, this included some of the most veteran field hockey teams in the multiverse."

The floor was opened to questions from attendees, one of which was about a tournament in progress.

"We're seeing mixed results in a current international basketball tournament, care to comment?"

"The tournament is still in progress and they have a two-win, two-loss record halfway through the Group Stage. It's a larger tournament under far different circumstances and it's too early to make a conclusion."

Another attendee made note of what everyone was wondering.

"I'd like to ask the representative of SC Oceanside a question," he said, turning to face Ninetyfivex, "I understand not everyone on the management team there is on board."

"Yeah, you could say that," Ninetyfivex nervously replied, recalling his explanation to the team's majority owner.

Xi Foureleven was quite surprised. The young female player stood at attention in her office, devoid of the behavior most people had of meeting her.

"Something is wrong," she said to Ninetyfivex, who was also present, "she is the sort of female that would be drooling on my shoelaces and hyperventilating, yet she is not."

"She's been trained since birth to respect authority," Ninetyfivex replied. "And you're wearing an opposing kit."

"Since birth." Foureleven restated. "There is something you are withholding from me."

Ninetyfivex looked down, shuffled papers in a file folder he was holding, then responded.

"She's from a top-secret military-like facility where she and thousands others have been raised to play sports."

Foureleven glared at Ninetyfivex, and became more visibly upset as he explained.

"They've been born in a lab procedure, where they learn a sport as soon as they learn motor skills."

Ninetyfivex stops explaining when he's smacked by Xi Foureleven.

"How dare you!" she snarls. "Soccer should be a voluntary activity! It just so happened I was proficient at it! Even Sarah will decide for herself if she wishes to compete!"

(Story line to be continued later.)

---

Snippets from the 95X Wire Service, transcribed from a paper that blew away in the wind:

MD 5: 95X 84, Dimetrija 60
          1Q 2Q  HT  3Q 4Q FT
95X       25 21 (46) 24 14 84
Dimetrija 17 12 (29) 12 19 60

95X rebounded from two defeats with a blowout of winless Dimetrija. Ashli Xxz put on a show, making several spectacular dunks in the third quarter, en route to 35 points and 12 rebounds.

[Ethane]

Sunset across the sea.


Cutoff.

[Ethane]

Results - Match Day 6

Group A
Republic of Rawn 67–83 Abanhfleft
Anglatia 69–103 Abaja

Group A                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                   5    4   1   388  334  +54    12
2 Abaja                                        5    4   1   416  362  +54    12
3 Anglatia                                     5    2   3   398  428  −30     6
4 Republic of Rawn                             5    1   4   380  388   −8     3
5 Free Republics                               4    1   3   256  326  −70     3

Group B
Equatorial Zeldaen 58–78 Vangaziland
Oisinistan 51–62 Flardania

Group B                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Vangaziland                                  5    4   1   433  329 +104    12
2 Valladares                                   4    3   1   319  303  +16     9
3 Flardania                                    5    3   2   374  391  −17     9
4 Equatorial Zeldaen                           5    2   3   340  396  −56     6
5 Oisinistan                                   5    0   5   327  374  −47     0

Group C
Gregoryisgodistan 82–66 Vettrera
West Phoenicia 68–86 Chromatika

Group C                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan                            5    3   2   362  351  +11     9
2 Drawkland                                    4    3   1   330  284  +46     9
3 Vettrera                                     5    3   2   374  366   +8     9
4 West Phoenicia                               5    2   3   366  359   +7     6
5 Chromatika                                   5    1   4   335  407  −72     3

Group D
95X 67–83 Ceni
United States of Devonta 76–74 Royal Kingdom of Quebec

Group D                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta                     5    4   1   390  372  +18    12
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                      5    3   2   379  364  +15     9
3 Ceni                                         5    3   2   364  348  +16     9
4 95X                                          5    2   3   374  374    0     6
5 Dimetrija                                    4    0   4   276  325  −49     0

Group E
Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan 74–100 Jeckland
Frenline Delpha 69–91 Kaboomlandia

Group E                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Jeckland                                     5    4   1   412  359  +53    12
2 Kaboomlandia                                 5    3   2   372  379   −7     9
3 Frenline Delpha                              5    3   2   371  381  −10     9
4 Ethane                                       4    2   2   316  300  +16     6
5 Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan       5    0   5   355  407  −52     0

Group F
Titovija 67–66 Cosumar
Bendicion 75–67 Natanians and Nosts

Group F                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                                      5    4   1   393  338  +55    12
2 Bendicion                                    5    3   2   426  383  +43     9
3 Qasden                                       4    2   2   292  299   −7     6
4 Titovija                                     5    2   3   328  359  −31     6
5 Natanians and Nosts                          5    1   4   351  411  −60     3

Group G
Pittopi 75–91 Nova Anglicana
Main Nation Ministry 49–80 West Saintland

Group G                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Saint Kanye                                  4    4   0   326  250  +76    12
2 Pittopi                                      5    3   2   383  390   −7     9
3 West Saintland                               5    3   2   375  355  +20     9
4 Nova Anglicana                               5    2   3   370  372   −2     6
5 Main Nation Ministry                         5    0   5   346  433  −87     0

Group H
Gandak 75–63 Nueva Andalusia
Locuterris 72–76 Valanora

Group H                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Valanora                                     5    3   2   393  358  +35     9
2 Gandak                                       5    3   2   377  355  +22     9
3 Unified Sunrise Islands                      4    3   1   338  316  +22     9
4 Nueva Andalusia                              5    2   3   377  381   −4     6
5 Locuterris                                   5    1   4   382  457  −75     3

[Abanhfleft]

A Tale of Two Brothers, Part Four

It was about a year or so after Arkadi Zima had finally returned to Abanhfleft after serving with the forces of Revolutionary Nordskania, a year after he had been picked up by the Ministry of State Security for fighting for a foreign power instead of training with the academy of Imperial Markovsky Football Club like he said in his exemption papers. All had been apparently forgiven and forgotten though, as Arkadi had been immediately brought back into the team and was already getting considered for a first team spot with the Imperials during their pre-season friendlies with their fellow Liga Ikatlo clubs and even some clubs from the semi-professional fifth tier. Meanwhile, Vitaly Zima, Arkadi’s twin brother, still had to content himself with occasional peeks into the bench during these pre-season friendlies.

It was on the morning of the last of these friendlies before the official start of the new season, the 2019-2020 season, that Vitaly Zima found himself knocking on the door of his brother’s apartment (Arkadi had moved away a few months after the MSS had finally released him). Vitaly had been asked by the team staff to tell Arkadi that he was supposed to report early because he was going to start in this particular friendly against Braganopolis City, a team from the fifth tier Markovsky Provincial Premier League which had just narrowly missed out on promotion to the Liga ng Abanhfleft. Vitaly himself was on the bench, but he harbored no hopes or illusions of starring in this particular game even though the club was playing basically their third-string of veterans and up-and-coming young players to give them some kind of match fitness.

“Hey, Vichka, come on in,” Arkadi said as he opened the door and saw that it was Vitaly knocking. Vitaly went into Arkadi’s apartment and looked around. The apartment was a small place in terms of real estate and property, but for someone who was still on academy wages like both Arkadi and Vitaly, it was quite palatial. There weren’t much in the way of decorations, but there was a large black-and-yellow flag hanging on the wall above the flat-screen television, a flag which Vitaly recognized as that of Revolutionary Nordskania, the still-mostly-unrecognized country which had been carved out of the north of Nordskania after their successful revolt against the Communist south. There were a few pictures showing Arkadi holding various rifles and weapons and surrounded by his fellow revolutionaries. A picture of Arkadi beside a beautiful woman caught Vitaly’s eye as well, although he didn’t bring it up just yet. “Nice place you got her, Kachka,” he said instead.

“I know, right?” Arkadi said as he walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch in front of the TV. “You gotta hand it to the Northern Syndicate, Vitaly. They’re treating their soldiers like real soldiers, you know? Giving us pay and wages like we’re a real army or something. I mean, we did manage to defeat the Nordskanian People’s Army in battle, although most of the NPA were just conscripts who were handed guns and then told to fight the revolution. Those who didn’t turn and run away as soon as they saw us threw down their weapons and defected to us. At least with the North, they’ve got real training and steady rations all day long. Don’t be shy, Vitaly,” he said as he saw Vitaly standing and looking around. “Sit down. Talk.”

“Ah, Arkadi, I wish I could, but I’m actually here for a reason,” Vitaly said as he sat down on the chair to the left of Arkadi’s sofa. “The club told me to come here and tell you that you’re starting against Braganopolis.”

That got Arkadi’s attention immediately. He sat up from his couch and asked, “You’re joking, right?”

“You know me, Kachka,” Vitaly said. “I haven’t got a single funny bone in my body. Have you ever known me to make a joke?”

“I suppose that’s true,” Arkadi conceded. “But still, Imperial’s going to start me against Braganopolis? Hot damn!” He shook his head, as if he was convinced that this was just a dream.

“Oh, don’t put too much meaning into it, Kachka,” Vitaly said. “It’s just a friendly with a freaking non-league side, after all.”

“Yes, yes, Vichka, I know that,” Arkadi said, distracted by his own thoughts. “Vitaly, there’s something I’ve got to tell you. I haven’t told anyone else about this yet because I just found out about it myself.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” Vitaly muttered.

“I just got a call from Karl Karpenko,” Arkadi said. “You know, the manager of the Revolutionary Nordskania national team. Rather, he’s going to become the manager of the Revolutionary Nordskania national team once they finally get themselves together and join the international football body. He’s told me that he’s considering calling me up for the team when they play in the Baptism of Fire.”

“Hang on a minute, brother,” Vitaly said, raising his hand. “Are you telling me that that place you fought for already has a football association and a football team set up?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Nothing, it’s just that from what I’ve heard in the news, it’s complete anarchy over there in, um, Revolutionary Nordskania.”

“Don’t believe everything you see in the news, Vichka,” Arkadi said with a knowing grin. “Anarchism’s the dominant ideology in Revolutionary Nordskania, mostly because the Northern Syndicate wants an anarchist-capitalist system in place in the country. People say that Revolutionary Nordskania’s got no government, but the Northern Syndicate is, by most part, the government of the north because they’re the most powerful clan in the area, and they take out anyone else who gets a little too powerful for their tastes and those who don’t toe their line. It’s actually quite efficient, Vitaly, because there’s no longer any debate between people with their own agendas like the National Congress here in Abanhfleft.”

“And however did your northerners get the idea to establish your own FA and national team?”

“You remember Mother’s family back in Nordskania, da? The Grekovs?” It was obvious from the blank look in Vitaly’s face that he had no idea about who or what his brother was talking about. Arkadi waved away the first thing that came to his mind and said instead, “Anyway, do you remember our cousin Natasha?”

“I can’t say that I do, either,” Vitaly replied carefully.

“Anyway, Natasha helped me get to Nordskania back then, and she also helped me get back to Abanhfleft after we won because the MSS took down the Federatsiya. She also fought with me and others for the freedom of the North, by the way. Anyway, as it turns out, Natasha had been playing football along with some of the other fighters during their spare time, and when those of us who played got together for one game, it gave someone the idea that as soon as Revolutionary Nordskania was free, they were going to assemble a team which they would send to the Baptism of Fire and, hopefully, earn the recognition of the rest of the multiverse.”

“Hmm, noble idea,” Vitaly said absentmindedly. “So what’s this got to do with the game against Braganopolis?”

“Haven’t you been listening, brother? This is my chance to show Karpenko that I deserve a call-up for this team! Karpenko’s looking both inside and outside the North for players to fill the squad, and that’s got some of the veterans nervous and angry because Karpenko’s looking at guys like Ces Yoshida from Kirishima and Dragovic-Courtial from Quebec to join the team, and the veterans think that these foreigners aren’t going to be fighting for Revolutionary Nordskania as much as for themselves. I mean, getting a call-up for the national team means that you’re good enough in some way or another, and that’s going to pump their transfer value way up. People think that players like Yoshida and Dragovic-Courtial are only going to be in it to market themselves while the guys who actually fought for the North like Natasha and her brother Josef are going to be working their asses playing for the team.”

“So what are you, Arkadi? Are you like the Grekovs or like Yoshida and Dragovic-Courtial?” Vitaly had no idea who those players could be, but as Arkadi mentioned them, it seemed okay to use them in their conversation.

“Do you even need to ask that question, Vitaly?” Arkadi asked in reply. “Of course I want that call-up because I want to play for Nordskania! Sure, getting a big fat contract from somewhere is an added bonus, but for me, it’s all about playing for the black and yellow.” Arkadi quickly shot a snappy salute at the flag of Revolutionary Nordskania hanging on his wall.

“Come on, Arkadi, admit it,” Vitaly said with a grin. “You just want the money like the rest of us.”

“That may be true,” Arkadi muttered, looking at someplace in the distance. “But I still want this because it’s a chance to legitimately represent Nordskania, at least the North. The fucking MSS doesn’t want anybody running off to fight for the North back then, but this time, they can’t stop me. Nobody can.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Vitaly asked indignantly with narrowed eyes.

“Oh, I think you know perfectly well what I mean, brother,” Arkadi said with equal indignation.

They call it the guilt of the accuser. It was, just as it was called, the guilt that an accuser felt every time they thought of or laid eyes upon the subject of their accusation. It was especially strong for those people who have accused and informed on their own siblings and family members. Vitaly Zima had been feeling the guilt of the accuser ever since Arkadi Zima had been released by the Ministry of State Security from his “indefinite detention” due to the connections of the Imperial Markovsky staff and the Samahang Futbol ng Abanhfleft to high-ranking officials of the MSS because Vitaly knew that he had played a part in Arkadi getting picked up by the MSS upon his arrival in Samuel Shevchuk International Airport. Vitaly kept telling himself time and again that the MSS would have picked up Arkadi anyway because of the text that he had sent his brother telling Vitaly to pick him up, and there were days when Vitaly believed that, but Vitaly knew in his heart that it was his approach to the MSS that had spurred them to action against Arkadi.

Vitaly knew that the right thing would be to admit his guilt right then and there and end the fight that he knew was coming before it even started. But pride, stubbornness, and the belief that his brother was being led astray by his own beliefs prevented Vitaly from saying anything that would finally clear his conscience. Instead, he said, “Look, Arkadi, how many times do I have to repeat it? I had nothing to do with the MSS squad that picked you up back then!”

“Of course you’re going to deny it,” Arkadi said, shaking his head in resignation. “Look, Vitaly, the evidence is obvious, whichever way you look at it. I text you to pick me up at the airport with Marissa, and then as soon as I wave at you guys when I saw you in the terminal, the MSS comes and picks me up. There’s no use denying it, brother. You totally tipped them off on me.”

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit, Arkadi,” Vitaly said, standing up. “You know just as well as I do that the MSS intercepts every text message that comes to and from Fleftic cellphones. You should have known better than to text me if you want to get back into the country undetected.”

“You’re right about one thing, brother,” Arkadi said, getting up on his feet as well. “I should have known better than to text you.” He planted an accusing finger on Vitaly’s chest, which Vitaly slapped away angrily. This made Arkadi grab his own brother’s shirt. “You really wanna fight me, Vitaly?” he asked.

“Oh, is that what you want, Kachka?” Vitaly asked just as hotly. “Just because you’re now a soldier and a veteran and got a shitload of tattoos on your body, you think you can take me on?” Vitaly spread his arms wide. “Have at me, brother.”

Arkadi and Vitaly really could’ve gotten into a fight which would have gotten them in trouble both with Imperial Markovsky and their parents, and it was only because of the timely intervention of Marissa Bures coming into the apartment that the two brothers didn’t get into fisticuffs with each other. “Arkadi, I’m home!” Marissa called out, and Arkadi quickly let go of Vitaly, who immediately straightened his shirt. The two brothers were still staring daggers at each other even as Marissa walked into the living room.

“Vitaly! Fancy seeing you here!” Marissa said as she entered the living room. Arkadi walked over to Marissa and kissed her on the mouth, and at the same time he did that, Vitaly noticed that Arkadi had taken down the picture of him in Nordskania with that beautiful girl. Marissa then walked over to Vitaly and kissed him on the cheek in a friendly way. “I just bought lunch,” she said, holding up the plastic bags in her hand. “Do you want to stay and eat?”

“No thanks, Mari, I’m in a hurry,” Vitaly replied with as friendly a grin as he could muster. “I was just here to tell Arkadi here that he’s going to start in the friendly against Braganopolis tonight.”

“Really?” Marissa turned to face Arkadi with a happily surprised look. “Is that true?”

“Must be, if it’s Vitaly telling you about it,”Arkadi said through tight lips and gritted teeth.

“Anyway, I gotta go,” Vitaly said. “I hate to just come and go on you guys like this, but I have to get back to the ground, let them know you already know.” As he walked out, Vitaly, as slowly and quietly as he could, picked up the photo of Arkadi with the most-probably-Nordskanian girl and hid it behind him. “Goodbye, guys,” he said, and then as soon as he was out of Arkadi’s apartment, he immediately rushed back to his car and took a closer look at the girl in the photo. Who the hell was she? Why did Arkadi have a picture just with her? And why did Arkadi not want Marissa to see this particular picture? Did something happen between Arkadi and the girl? Was Arkadi having someone else on the side? All these questions and more were swimming around in Vitaly’s head as he grasped the potential magnitude of that one picture. If this girl was indeed Arkadi’s Nordskanian girlfriend… Vitaly didn’t even know what to think of his own brother anymore.

[Ethane]

The Doll's House
Chapter 1, Part 1 - A Very Merry Christmas

---

25th December, 1935.

It was early in the morning when the kids woke up. Too early, some would say, but it was Christmas day, so they wanted to get downstairs in double speed with their parents so they could unwrap their presents and find out what their parents bought them this year. It was an excitement that kids all around the world felt every year; Santa Claus had visited and bought them their presents for the year, and there was always a sense of anticipation - had Santa brought them what they most wanted this year, or was this year going to be a disappointment for some children. Of course, all the naughty children got soot in their sack, but William and Mabel had thought they had been very well behaved during the year, so were deserving of a present so great this year. They both had wishes which seemed a bit far-stretched: William wanted a wooden duck made by Lego (which had only been released during the year), while Mabel wanted a doll that she had seen in the shop window a few weeks before, and which she had pointed out to her mum.

They barged into their parents room - much like they had done the year before - and jumped onto the bed with them, yelling at them to get up, hysterical with excitement like little puppy dogs when they see their owner after a while of them not being around. When you get awoken by screaming kids, you tend to be relatively unhappy, especially when they have been jumping on you. That’s the mood John - their dad - found himself in when he opened his eyes, kids screaming and jumping on him. However, his wife, Sarah, found herself in a much more compassionate mood considering it was Christmas morning, and held John back from lashing out at the children and grabbing the cane. She didn’t want Christmas day to be ruined before it had even really started. ‘Children… You can stop now!’ she called out, chuckling at the enthusiasm of her children. Normally, they had to remain silent, but today was Christmas, and everyone had to be in a jolly good spirit and enjoy it, not ruining it for anyone else. ‘Give us a few minutes to get dressed, and we’ll come down.’

It was about 30 minutes later that the family found themselves coming down the stairs, all four of them ready for an exciting day. It wasn’t quite time to open presents yet though, and Sarah wanted to make sure the children waited for the whole family to arrive to open presents, so she prevented them from going into the living-room, where the presents were, so the children opted to go play outside for a bit while they waited for everyone else. Their grandparents were yet to arrive, so they did have to wait until Christmas proceeded much, as Grandparents always get grumpy if you proceed without them.

Sarah found herself continuing with the Christmas dinner. The turkey had been put in wood stove the night before, to make sure that it was fully cooked, and it was a few hours away from being ready, which would hopefully be just after opening the presents. That left the roast potatoes, stuffing and vegetables which had been grown in the garden to cook up, and the table to be prepared; it was Christmas, so it had to all look pristine. The sides had already been dusted down, and the wine glasses and crockery had already been polished to a shine in anticipation for the day, leaving mostly just the food and the preparing of the table itself, all of which could be done in between now and the presents being opened. She had already given instructions to keep the floor clean in the dining-room and kitchen as well, so the kids knew that doing something as stupid as that would land them in great trouble with their father. John found himself sitting in the living-room on one of the armchairs. He held a cigar in one hand, which he puffed every 30 seconds or so, while in his left hand and sprawled across his lap was the national newspaper, opened on the Christmas double-spread page. He always enjoyed reading about the festive news, as it was always more jolly and exciting than the negative news of the common day, yet it was all interesting for him to read, to understand current affairs in the world. He was lucky in his role as he was relatively rich so could afford a large house, yet there were multiple poor people who couldn’t even afford a house, and he did feel a little compassion towards them, hence why he always made sure he donated £20 to a charity every Christmas, so that people who can’t afford it would be able to celebrate Christmas that year - a little festive cheer all around doesn’t harm anyone after all. The kids found themselves in the back garden, running around and chasing each other. However, they were being very careful, as they were under strict conditions to not get dirty because their grandparents were coming, and they had their nice clothes on already. So they were chasing each other, but being very cautious to not fall over.

Yet they were children, so the likelihood of them staying clean was rather low. William was chasing Mabel across a particularly muddy part of the back garden when he slipped up and fell down, covering his trousers and shirt with mud and even getting some in his hair. Mabel laughed, even though she knew he would get into big trouble for it. However, she did always like seeing her younger brother get into trouble with father, and sometimes was even as mean as to want him to get the cane, sometimes encouraging her father to use the cane on him. ‘Shut up!’ William shouted at Mabel, lashing out at her and hitting her on the face. Mabel cried and shouted at him, running in to tell mother, with William in close pursuit, skidding into the kitchen and getting their mother’s dining-room and kitchen floor all muddy and dirty.

‘What are you two doing?!’ she shouted at them, infuriated as they had just undone most of her hard work at making the place look pristine and shiny-clean. Both William and Mabel began to talk at the same time, trying to make their story heard over their siblings. But Sarah had had enough of the two of them before she even really heard anything they said. ‘Shut it! Go to your room!’ she barked at them, a disappointed look crossing across her face. Both children sulked and crept upstairs. ‘I will be speaking to father about this! Why did you have to do THIS on Christmas day!’ she sighed, before turning to clean up the mess her children made.

[Nueva Andalusia]

Horneros Can't Build On Momentum

Marco Gonzales, El Clarín de Córdoba

After the Nueva Andalusia Horneros pulled off a big upset in their third game, defeating the #1 team in the group Valanora, by a healthy margin, spirits were high. Coach Antonio Castro praised his team's defense in their win, saying "I am very pleased with the way we defended tonight. Forcing 16 turnovers against a strong, veteran, team like Valanora is a wonderful result. We helped each other on defense and took advantage of their mistakes. This is a big win for us."

Castro's team followed up by blasting Locuterris, 91-60. Center Marcelino Navarro led the team with a double-double, 19 points and 13 rebounds, as well as contributing five blocks. Federico Rojas hit five threes, including three in a row in the second quarter, to spark the Horneros. They held hapless Locuterris to 37.5% shooting (21-56) in their best defensive performance of the tournament. Locuterris bombed away from three, shooting 31 shots from beyond the arc, but only making 10 for 32.3%. Meanwhile, the Horneros shot an efficient 49.2% (32-65), including 10-19 from beyond the arc. Even low-scoring David Benitez chipped in seven points as every Hornero scored.

At 2-2 and having won two straight, the Horneros were pretty confident going into their rematch with Gandak. Gandak was also 2-2, having lost to Locuterris and Valanora, but defeated Unified Sunrise Islands. The game was pivotal for both teams, as they needed a win to stay competitive in the tightly bunched group. The Horneros started off well enough, with Marco Pereira showing off his face-up game, hitting two short jump shots and slashing past his defender for an easy layup. His six points led the Horneros to an 18-15 lead at the first quarter break. However, they went abysmally cold in the second quarter, hitting just four of sixteen shots in the quarter, including 0-6 from the three-point line. Only four free throws brought them into double digits for the quarter. Meanwhile, Gandak hit 11-18 shots in the quarter and 4-8 from beyond the arc. Three free throws in the quarter gave them 44 for the game and a fourteen-point lead.

Gambling that his subs would lead his team back just as they did in the first game, Castro sent in a completely new lineup in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the reserves missed their first five shots and contributed to a 5-15 quarter and 0-4 from three-point range. Gandak added 21 points in the third, surging ahead 65-40. The Horneros hit seven of their first nine shots (3-5 from 3) in the fourth quarter, starting the quarter on a 17-5 run that cut the lead to 70-57, but made just two shots the rest of the quarter and Gandak held them off 75-63. Castro had few words after the loss. "We wasted a big chance because of a lack of effort. That's the reason we lost."

The Horneros will take on 3-1 Unified Sunrise Islands in their next matchup, looking to avenge a 100-76 defeat in their first game.

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions on the Rebound, Face Tough Test

Clayton Cole, Londinium Courier

You could not have written a worse start to IBC 22 for the Nova Anglicana Lions than their first three games. After a shocking 88-76 loss to unranked first-timers Pittopi, the Lions dropped consecutive games to powerhouses Saint Kanye and West Saintland. The Lions gave Saint Kanye a decent first half, but never led as Ibrahim Mbaraza's defensive weakness was exposed by the quick-moving and sharp-shooting Surge. Trailing just 35-27 at the half, there was still hope that they could come back and claim a big victory over the #3 ranked team, but Omar Martin and Caleb Burns, the dynamic guard duo that run the Lions' offense, went cold during the third quarter and the Lions trailed by as many as 20. They made a late surge behind Cody Lewis and Omar Martin, but the Surge held them off for a 72-61 win. Despite the decent margin, the Lions were never really in this game and could not have been satisfied with the result.

West Saintland would prove to be no easier. Prince Ioannes, the 7'2 center and undisputed leader of the team, scored on Mbaraza almost at will, ending with 27 points, more than a third of his team's overall scoring. Kelvin Braxton had a good game, dominating the shorter Lucas Cornificius and showing a back-to-the-basket game we hadn't seen before. His 16 points were a tournament high for him, and his rim-rattling fast break dunk in the third quarter provided about the only highlight for the Lions. Otherwise, they struggled, unable to ever lead or even cut the deficit to three or less.

With that loss, the Lions were 0-3 and had now trailed for all 120 minutes of the tournament. They were clearly in a malaise, and it carried over to their game against fellow 0-3 squad Main Nation Ministry. Main Nation Ministry had suffered an embarrassing loss to Saint Kanye (26 points) and one to West Saintland (9 points), but looked like the better team for the entire first half. Their shooting guard hit 5-7 field goals, including 3-5 from beyond the arc, to lead the team with 13 points. Ibrahim Mbaraza was languishing on the bench with three fouls, and the Lions had turned the ball over seven times. Amazingly, they still only trailed 33-26, but they still had not held a lead for any of the 140 minutes they had played. The third quarter was more of the same, with Main Nation Ministry seemingly able to score at will and the Lions looking lost. Their streak reached 150 minutes, with them trailing 55-47 at the end of the third. But whatever Raymon Guidry said to them on the sidelines before the start of the fourth worked, because they came out on a 10-0 run, hitting their first five shots. It was the first lead for them in the tournament. They shot a blistering 70% in the quarter (14-20), including 4-8 from beyond the arc. They didn't even need any free throws to score 32 points and defeat Main Nation Ministry 79-63 for their first win of the tournament.

Then came the rematch against Pittopi. The Lions wanted revenge and you could tell by the way they played that they would get it at all costs. They roared out to a 19-10 lead at the end of the first, and stretched it to 42-26 at the half. Omar Martin alone had scored 16 points, with Kelvin Braxton chipping in eight. The Lions continued their hot shooting in the third quarter, outscoring Pittopi 25-19 to lead 67-45. The subs played the entire fourth quarter, which was a rollicking, back-and-forth affair with plenty of scoring. Despite sloppy defense and a few too many turnovers, the Lions emerged out of the fourth with a 91-75 revenge win. Head coach Guidry remarked that his team "wasn't seeing anything but our own basket, and while I enjoy the 91 points, our defense definitely needs work."

That's for sure, as they will have a rematch with the Saint Kanye Surge in their next game, which is a must-win if the Lions want to have any chance of making the playoffs. They may be already eliminated with three losses, but they can't give up hope.

[Saint Kanye]

IBC 22: AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
Surge become sole undefeated team after Stallions fall to newbie team

by Claude Harlan

MERSEYSHORE - We are now officially past the halfway point of the group stages of the 22nd International Basketball Championships here in Ethane. Our very own St. Kanye Surge is on a break today and so did not play any games. Instead, the team took to sightseeing, as well as watching the Group G game pitting the Nova Anglicana Lions, their next opponent, against Pittopi. The Lions came up on top of that game, 91-75, to post back-to-back wins after a three-game losing streak. Pittopi experienced the opposite, back-to-back losses after a three-game winning streak.

"That win [by the Lions] gave the players a huge confidence boost heading into our match with them tomorrow", said Surge head coach Anton Spoletto. "We saw some improvement in their [Lions'] offense, and we will adjust accordingly. However, we still saw holes in the defense, and we will continue to exploit them." The last meeting between the Surge and the Lions ended with the former coming out on top 72-61. St. Kanye wore purple last time, so they'll be playing in white tomorrow, while Nova Anglicana will be in their road reds.

Meanwhile, in Swanmouth, the Cosumar Stallions lost a very close one to the team from Titovija, 66-67, for their first setback and a 4-1 record. This meant that the only team among the forty participants of this tournament to not have a loss would be none other than the Surge. "Let's keep it that way", said Yeezie shooting guard Victor McLain. "We gotta give it our best tomorrow to keep the streak alive." The last time the Kanyeans swept the group stages in the IBC was in the twentieth edition in Ceni, where they captured their first and only title so far.

---

Around the IBC

by the Kibitzer Research Department

GROUP A: ABAJA 103, ANGLATIA 69

The Abaja Lions destroyed the Anglatia Crusaders to match both the Abanhfleft Rebolusyonaryos' 4-1 record and +54 point differential. Anglatia slipped to 2-3.

GROUP B: FLARDANIA 62, OISINISTAN 51

In this low-scoring affair, Flardania put themselves above 0.500 (3-2 to be exact), while Oisinistan remained winless in five games.

GROUP C: CHROMATIKA 86, WEST PHOENICIA 68

Chromatika (1-4) barges into the win column, beating the Scorpions (2-3) by a convincing eighteen-point margin.

GROUP D: UNITED STATES OF DEVONTA 76, ROYAL KINGDOM OF QUEBEC 74

The USD (4-1) make it a repeat win over the RKQ (3-2), a closer win than opening day's 84-65 result, but a win nonetheless.

GROUP E: JECKLAND 100, BMTS 74

Jeckland (4-1) remains atop Group E, while also preventing BMTS (0-5) from winning a single game.

GROUP F: TITOVIJA 67, COSUMAR 66

The Stallions (4-1) fail to make it five victories in a row, falling short one point against IBC first-timers Titovija (2-3).

GROUP G: WEST SAINTLAND 80, MAIN NATION MINISTRY 49

Prince Ioannes and co. improve their record to 3-2, as well as their chances of becoming one of two Group G teams to advance to the playoffs. MNM drop to 0-5, the third such team and fourth winless team altogether.

GROUP H: GANDAK 75, NUEVA ANDALUSIA 63

The Nueva Andalusia Horneros (2-3) took the early lead in this game, but were unable to capitalize as Gandak (3-2) pulled ahead and away for a dozen-point triumph.

---

Game Schedule - Group G

Surge Record So Far: 4-0

Matchday 1: BREAK
Matchday 2: W 72-61 vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 3: W 90-67 vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 4: W 91-65 vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR*)
Matchday 5: W 73-57 vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Matchday 6: BREAK
Matchday 7: White Jerseys vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 8: Purple Jerseys vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 9: White Jerseys vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR)
Matchday 10: Purple Jerseys vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Playoffs

*Unranked.

All games televised live through SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and streamed on ibc-tv.stk.

[95X]

Back at that top-secret meeting, Jason Ninetyfivex explained his flashback.

"Things will get better once we have external multiverse results," he invented, and the group accepted the answer.

The meeting continued with varied discussion, including a promise Ninetyfivex made to Ashli Xxz.

In the six years she'd been in 95X itself, Ashli Xxz adjusted better than expected to her new surroundings. She found the National Volleyball League's 60-game schedule far too short though, and just couldn't stay out of the gym. That's when she picked up a basketball and to no surprise was an instant natural. In no time, the Pacific City Rockers (her NVL team) insisted she take it easy during the off-season, volleyball was her paying profession after all. But it was no surprise to Ninetyfivex that she was in a basketball practice gym when he was to ask her to tryout for the IBC team. Ninetyfivex went upstairs to the second-level balcony directly above the basket, when Xxz spotted her.

"Hi Ashli, I'm Jason Ninetyfivex," he greeted.

Xxz blinked and responded with, "I believe we have met before. Under unusual circumstances."

"You have a good memory," Ninetyfivex said and got to business. "Your proficiency in basketball has been noted, and on behalf of the national basketball team I'd like to ask you to try out for it."

Xxz first thought that request was absurd, but didn't show it and didn't respond.

"The other players are from a different area of where you're from," Ninetyfivex spilled the beans. "Look, things have been learned since you were removed without warning. But honestly we need someone who's tall, has multiple skills, and knows the ropes."

Xxz said nothing, turned around, dribbled to the free throw line, and made ten free throws. That's when Ninetyfivex noticed a volleyball on the balcony, and threw it in Xxz's general direction. Xxz suddenly made a spectacular spin-move spike of the ball over a net set up in the center of the gym.

"See," Ninetyfivex tried, "you can make the transition in a split-second."

Xxz backed up to the three-point line, taking a shot that would hit the iron next to the backboard, fly toward Xxz, who grabbed it with her hand and dunked it.

"I'll do it under one condition," Xxz said.

"Consider it done," Ninetyfivex promised, puzzling Xxz.

"I haven't even told you what it is," Xxz got defensive.

"Mistakes have been corrected, trust me," Ninetyfivex reassured.

Everyone in the room looked at the boardroom table in front of them. Progress was that she'd have her promise kept, but she might not like the result.

[Ethane]

A Waterfall from behind in the summer months.


Cutoff.

[Ethane]

Results - Match Day 7

Group A
Abaja 67–63 Republic of Rawn
Abanhfleft 84–60 Free Republics

Group A                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                                   6    5   1   472  394  +78    15
2 Abaja                                        6    5   1   483  425  +58    15
3 Anglatia                                     5    2   3   398  428  −30     6
4 Republic of Rawn                             6    1   5   443  455  −12     3
5 Free Republics                               5    1   4   316  410  −94     3

Group B
Flardania 77–73 Equatorial Zeldaen
Vangaziland 88–73 Valladares

Group B                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Vangaziland                                  6    5   1   521  402 +119    15
2 Flardania                                    6    4   2   451  464  −13    12
3 Valladares                                   5    3   2   392  391   +1     9
4 Equatorial Zeldaen                           6    2   4   413  473  −60     6
5 Oisinistan                                   5    0   5   327  374  −47     0

Group C
Chromatika 76–70 Gregoryisgodistan
Vettrera 77–76 Drawkland

Group C                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Vettrera                                     6    4   2   451  442   +9    12
2 Gregoryisgodistan                            6    3   3   432  427   +5     9
3 Drawkland                                    5    3   2   406  361  +45     9
4 West Phoenicia                               5    2   3   366  359   +7     6
5 Chromatika                                   6    2   4   411  477  −66     6

Group D
Royal Kingdom of Quebec 87–57 95X
Ceni 87–73 Dimetrija

Group D                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Ceni                                         6    4   2   451  421  +30    12
2 United States of Devonta                     5    4   1   390  372  +18    12
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                      6    4   2   466  421  +45    12
4 95X                                          6    2   4   431  461  −30     6
5 Dimetrija                                    5    0   5   349  412  −63     0

Group E
Kaboomlandia 68–70 Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan
Jeckland 72–92 Ethane

Group E                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Jeckland                                     6    4   2   484  451  +33    12
2 Ethane                                       5    3   2   408  372  +36     9
3 Frenline Delpha                              5    3   2   371  381  −10     9
4 Kaboomlandia                                 6    3   3   440  449   −9     9
5 Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan       6    1   5   425  475  −50     3

Group F
Natanians and Nosts 101–81 Titovija
Cosumar 90–51 Qasden

Group F                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                                      6    5   1   483  389  +94    15
2 Bendicion                                    5    3   2   426  383  +43     9
3 Natanians and Nosts                          6    2   4   452  492  −40     6
4 Qasden                                       5    2   3   343  389  −46     6
5 Titovija                                     6    2   4   409  460  −51     6

Group G
West Saintland 78–69 Pittopi
Nova Anglicana 57–74 Saint Kanye

Group G                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Saint Kanye                                  5    5   0   400  307  +93    15
2 West Saintland                               6    4   2   453  424  +29    12
3 Pittopi                                      6    3   3   452  468  −16     9
4 Nova Anglicana                               6    2   4   427  446  −19     6
5 Main Nation Ministry                         5    0   5   346  433  −87     0

Group H
Valanora 80–79 Gandak
Nueva Andalusia 74–74 Unified Sunrise Islands (90–91 OT)

Group H                                      Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Valanora                                     6    4   2   473  437  +36    12
2 Unified Sunrise Islands                      5    3   1   412  390  +22    10
3 Gandak                                       6    3   3   456  435  +21     9
4 Nueva Andalusia                              6    2   3   451  455   −4     7
5 Locuterris                                   5    1   4   382  457  −75     3

[Abanhfleft]

A Tale of Two Brothers, Part Five

It was the night after the friendly between Imperial Markovsky and Braganopolis City. As Vitaly Zima had predicted, he didn’t feature in the game but instead watched from the bench as Imperial barely squeezed past the Braggarts 1-0 courtesy of a goal in the last minute of added time from Oontaznik striker Jake Pimentel, who was on loan from Arsenal de Releinthi. Pimentel had been assisted by Vitaly’s twin brother Arkadi Zima, and while the friendly meant nothing in the grand scheme of the things, the victory would hopefully give Imperial a boost in the opening stages of the new season.

The team had been allowed to celebrate the victory with a night out on the town. Almost everyone got a few drinks in, but Arkadi Zima really went nuts with the drinks, and pretty soon he was well and thoroughly smashed. He wouldn’t have been able to get back to his apartment had his brother Vitaly not held back on the drinks and drunk only a few himself. As the rest of the team went back to their respective homes to nurse their hangovers and think of ways to report to training the next day without looking too drunk, Vitaly carried Arkadi to his car and drove him back to his apartment.

“Thank you very much for taking me back home, Brother Vitaly,” Arkadi said as Vitaly carried him out of his car, through the door of Arkadi’s apartment, and onto his couch, where Arkadi smacked down hard on the leather. Yeah, Arkadi’s very much drunk, Vitaly thought to himself. Only in a drunken stupor could Arkadi be grateful and make someone think long and hard whether the gratitude was real or just sarcastic.

“Hey, hey, Vitaly, where the hell are you going?” Arkadi slurred as Vitaly made to get out of the apartment. “Stay with me for a moment. Don’t just eat and run, brother.”

“We haven’t eaten yet, Arkadi,” Vitaly said in a calm and soothing tone, “but sure, I’ll stay.”

“Let’s talk about something we really haven’t talked about a lot. You totally called the MSS on me when I first got home from the war, Vichka.”

Right now, even though Vitaly hadn’t drunk much himself, he was buzzing from the few drinks he did drink, and he was also not in the mood to antagonize his brother, especially now that he was drunk. “Sure, all right, Kachka, I’ll admit it. I totally informed on you to the MSS.”

“But why’d you do it, Vitaly?” Arkadi asked. “It’s not as if I joined ISIS or something like it. Revolutionary Nordskania is not a terrorist organization; we’re just a country fighting for our freedom from communism. We’re not going to be setting off bombs in our home countries once we got back from the fighting.”

“Ah, but that’s not why I ratted you out to the MSS,” Vitaly said. “You know, Arkadi, I’ve always envied how you were so much of a hotshot, and then I began hating you for it. You were always the center of attention, Kachka. You were the standout player of our class, and then you were about to get promoted to the first team, and then you ran away to fight for Nordskania. It’s always been about you, Arkadi, everything. Even when you left, you were still the center of attention because of your case. I don’t know why I informed on you, brother, really. Maybe it was because I thought if the MSS ‘indefinitely detained’ you then people would forget all about you. But obviously that didn’t happen because you’ve got friends in high places like the management of Imperial and the SFA. So now here we are, you listening to me confess everything because you’re drunk and I’m buzzing and we’ve got nothing else to do.”

“Eh, you say that, brother, but I think we’ve still got to work on your issues with me,” Arkadi said with a grin that Vitaly could still see in his mind’s eye even though the apartment was dark because both brothers didn’t react particularly well to bright lights when they were drunk. “And where the hell is my picture with Natalia?”

“Oh, so that’s her name?” Vitaly asked. “Natalia?”

“Yeah. What’s it to you?”

“We’re talking about the same picture here, are we?”

“I don’t know. My picture with Natalia’s missing, and I don’t know what’s happened to it.”

“Well, no need to turn the apartment inside out looking for it, Arkadi,” Vitaly said. “I’ve got it right here.” Vitaly tossed the picture, frame and all, back to Arkadi.

“You had it?” Arkadi asked in disbelief. “Why the hell did you take it?”

“Oh, nothing, it’s just that I saw you take it down as soon as Marissa got here earlier today.”

“That’s none of your business, Vitaly, and you know it.” There was now a definite hint of anger in Arkadi’s voice.

“Is it, Arkadi, is it?” Vitaly asked. “Is it none of my business if my own brother’s cheated or cheating on his girlfriend, who also happens to be a family friend? I mean, what more could you want, Arkadi? You’ve already got Marissa. Now you want another woman in your life? I mean, what’s that all about?”

“I don’t ask you about your love life, Vitaly, so don’t go asking me about mine,” Arkadi replied. “Besides, Natalia’s just this girl I met in Nordskania during the war. I saved her life and she saved mine. Don’t put too much meaning behind what you see, Vichka. Yeah, I think that’s enough talking for the both of us, brother. Don’t come back unless it’s to pick me up for practice.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I think it’s time that I left.” So Vitaly left Arkadi’s apartment, still not entirely convinced that that thing between Arkadi and this Natalia girl was just that, a thing and nothing more. Marissa was already torn to pieces worrying about Arkadi when he went away to Nordskania, and now Vitaly was confronted with the fact that his brother could be having someone on the side while his girlfriend was beside herself with worry for his life. God, why was living with someone like Arkadi Zima so hard? Vitaly asked as he drove away.

It wouldn’t be until the middle of the Baptism of Fire that Vitaly would finally learn the truth about Arkadi and this Natalia girl.

[Saint Kanye]

IBC 22: SURGE NOW 5-0
Kanyeans playoff-bound after taking down Lions

by Dante Dinkley

MERSEYSHORE - The St. Kanye Surge national basketball team return to the International Basketball Championships playoffs after defeating the Nova Anglicana Lions 74-57 in their second encounter in the group stages of IBC 22, held here in Ethane. The win also kept the Surge's record perfect, at 5-0, while the Lions fall to 2-4 and in danger of being eliminated.

Josh Jackson led the way for the white-clad Surge with an almost double-double of 19 points and 9 rebounds. Victor McLain added 14 points (12 from threes), while Joel Pond contributed 10 points and four blocks. Kelvin Braxton was the only double-digit scorer for the red-clad Lions with 15, plus four rebounds and two assists.

Nova Anglicana, entering this game as a must-win situation for them, started things off with a 13-3 run in the first quarter. However, they quickly got over-confident, as afterwards they missed seven of their next nine shots, allowing the Kanyeans to catch up and tie the score at 18 after the first ten minutes of play. The Lions regained the lead at the start of the second quarter, even going 27-23 after a three-point play by Omar Martin with 6:45 remaining in the quarter, The Surge quickly responded, and took the lead 32-30 with a trey by McLain off a double team, 4:27 remaining. Then they simply shut the Lions down to enter halftime with a six-point lead, 36-30.

The two teams tightened up their defense in the second half, with Rey Benavides of the Lions and Zack Coyle of the Surge battling it out over who's the better guy on D. Neither team was able to truly pull away until the fourth, when Nova Anglicana's cold shooting streak returned. St. Kanye was able to outscore them 23-12, for a final result of Surge 74, Lions 57.

"Way to get the job done", said Cedric Philips, starting point guard of the original, IBC 20-winning Surge team, who was among the 2,851 Kanyeans at Gabriel Arena today. "We're back to the playoffs, baby, and I say "we" because once a Surge player, always a Surge player. Good luck and keep up the good work, boys." Up next for the Surge is West Saintland, who improved to 4-2 after handing Pittopi its third straight loss, 78-69. The Kanyeans walloped the Sanctii the last time they met, 90-67, but Surge head coach Anton Spoletto doesn't believe that West Saintland won't step their game up in their next meeting. "They [the Sanctii] will likely do all they can to stop another embarrassment like last time", he said.

Scores:

ST. KANYE 74 - Jackson 19, McLain 14, Pond 10, Dotson 8, Porter 8, Levy 6, Duff 4, Coyle 3, Norris 2, Adams 0, Lopez 0, Walker 0.

NOVA ANGLICANA 57 - Braxton 15, Burns 9, Martin 7, Mbaraza 7, Fischer 6, Lewis 4, Morrison 4, Peltier 4, Ryan 1, Benavides 0, Flowers 0, Wolfe 0.

Quarters: 18-18, 36-30, 51-45, 74-57.

---

Around the IBC

by the Kibitzer Research Department

GROUP A: ABANHFLEFT 84, FREE REPUBLICS 60

The 1-4 Free Republics will be packing their bags after the group stages, as they lose by two dozen to the 5-1 defending champ Rebs.

GROUP B: FLARDANIA 77, EQUATORIAL ZELDAEN 73

Equatorial Zeldaen (2-4) becomes the second team to be eliminated from Group B, while Flardania (4-2) finds itself closer to getting the group's second playoff seat (after Vangaziland, who get in by virtue of their 88-73 win over Valladares, also today).

GROUP C: VETTRERA 77, DRAWKLAND 76

The Net Corp drop to 3-2 and fall out of the top of the group, a spot now occupied by Vettrera (4-2), who beat them by one today.

GROUP D: CENI 87, DIMETRIJA 73

Another team to miss the playoff train is Dimetrija, with zero wins in five games. Former IBC 20 host Ceni's record rose to 4-2.

GROUP E: BMTS 70, KABOOMLANDIA 68

BMTS (1-5) stay alive in the tournament by getting its first victory, while Kaboomlandia drops back to 0.500, with three each of wins and losses.

GROUP F: COSUMAR 90, QASDEN 51

After yesterday's close loss, the Stallions (5-1) get back on track and enter the playoffs by demolishing the Vans (2-3).

GROUP G: WEST SAINTLAND 78, PITTOPI 69

The Sanctii (4-2) build up momentum for their game against the Surge tomorrow, while Pittopi's surprise three-win start fizzles out after following that streak up with three straight losses.

GROUP H: UNIFIED SUNRISE ISLANDS 91, NUEVA ANDALUSIA 90, OT

After a 74-all deadlock at the end of regulation, the USI (3-1) needed five more minutes before nipping the Horneros (2-3).

---

Game Schedule - Group G

Surge Record So Far: 5-0

Matchday 1: BREAK
Matchday 2: W 72-61 vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 3: W 90-67 vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 4: W 91-65 vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR*)
Matchday 5: W 73-57 vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Matchday 6: BREAK
Matchday 7: W 74-57 vs. Nova Anglicana (16)
Matchday 8: Purple Jerseys vs. West Saintland (8)
Matchday 9: White Jerseys vs. Main Nation Ministry (UR)
Matchday 10: Purple Jerseys vs. Pittopi (UR)
BREAK
Playoffs

*Unranked.

All games televised live through SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12 and streamed on ibc-tv.stk.

[Nueva Andalusia]

Horneros Drop Heartbreaker, All but Eliminated

Marco Gonzales, El Clarín de Córdoba

The Nueva Andalusia Horneros had a shot to climb back to .500 and keep themselves in the race for a playoff spot. It was a very slim chance, an incredibly long shot, that would have required them to win all three of the rest of their games and get some help, but it was a shot. And they came so close to pulling it off.

Their opponent was Unified Sunrise Islands, a 3-1 squad ranked #11 in the world who had defeated them 100-76 in their first meeting. In that game, the Horneros allowed their foes to shoot 52.9% from the field (37-70), including shooting 11-23 from beyond the arc. The Sunrisians also went 15-21 from the free throw line, as the Horneros hacked their way to 19 fouls in the game. A decent offensive effort (28-61, including 7 three-pointers) was wasted as they could not stop their opponents at all. Head coach Antonio Castro called it "matador defense."

In the rematch, the Horneros' defending wasn't much better. They allowed Unified Sunrise Islands to shoot 49.3% (37-75), though they did defend the three-point line much better, holding the Sunrisians to 6-17 from beyond the arc. They also only allowed 15 free throw attempts in a more disciplined performance. However, they still fell short because they failed to defend in crucial moments. The two teams traded baskets all throughout the first half, with the Sunrisians holding a slim 38-36 advantage at the halftime break. Marco Pereira had ten points to lead the Horneros. The third quarter was more of the same, but Nueva Andalusia outscored the Sunrisians 19-17 to tie the game at 55 going into the final quarter. The Horneros then hit three of their first four shots while USI hit none, allowing them to take a seven-point lead early in the quarter. But a couple of turnovers and missed shots left the Horneros clinging to a two-point lead, 74-72 with fourteen seconds to go and USI with the ball. A defensive miscommunication on a pick-and-roll left 5'11 Javier Medina guarding the center and he easily scored after getting the pass from the point guard. A 40-footer at the buzzer was wide left, and the two teams were headed to overtime.

The overtime period was much the same as the fourth quarter. Pereira hit back-to-back jumpers to give the Horneros an early lead, and his slashing drive to the basket put them up 90-88 with ten seconds to go. Pereira's 24-point effort would be wasted as a succession of screens by the USI bigs left their deadly 3-point shooter wide open on the perimeter and he buried his fifth three-pointer with 0.2 seconds to go to give them the win. Castro, after the game, said "We couldn't get stops when we needed them. It was a classic case of failing to play defense in the important moments."

The Horneros will have a bye next, and then take on 4-2 Valanora, whom they have already defeated once. Although the Horneros are more or less eliminated with four losses, they can still play the spoiler role and play for pride. A 4-4 record given their 0-2 start would be something to be proud of, even if they had hoped to surprise and get into the playoffs.

[Ethane]

A cathedral in Ethane.


Cutoff.

[Ethane]

Results - Match Day 8
I apologise for the delay in posting results and any previous discrepancies in past tables that may not align with these (there may be some - I don't know how far back the problem stems). The Xkoranate automatic table generator with the results seems to have had an error and almost deleted a previous game, so basically. Xkoranate broke. Its all fine now though, these results should be correct.

Group A
Free Republics 65–93 Abaja
Republic of Rawn 75–66 Anglatia

Group A                 Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Abaja                   7    6   0   1   576  490  +86    18
2 Abanhfleft              6    5   0   1   472  394  +78    15
3 Anglatia                6    2   0   4   464  503  −39     6
4 Republic of Rawn        7    2   0   5   518  521   −3     6
5 Free Republics          6    1   0   5   381  503 −122     3

Group B
Valladares 73–64 Flardania
Equatorial Zeldaen 72–80 Oisinistan

Group B                   Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Vangaziland             6    5   0   1   521  402 +119    15
2 Valladares              6    4   0   2   465  455  +10    12
3 Flardania               7    4   0   3   515  537  −22    12
4 Equatorial Zeldaen      7    2   0   5   485  553  −68     6
5 Oisinistan              6    1   0   5   407  446  −39     3

Group C
Drawkland 71–75 Chromatika
Gregoryisgodistan 85–76 West Phoenicia

Group C                  Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Gregoryisgodistan       7    4   0   3   517  503  +14    12
2 Vettrera                6    4   0   2   451  442   +9    12
3 Drawkland               6    3   0   3   477  436  +41     9
4 Chromatika              7    3   0   4   486  548  −62     9
5 West Phoenicia          6    2   0   4   442  444   −2     6

Group D
Dimetrija 78–92 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
95X 80–99 United States of Devonta

Group D                      Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 United States of Devonta    6    5   0   1   489  452  +37    15
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec     7    5   0   2   558  499  +59    15
3 Ceni                        6    4   0   2   451  421  +30    12
4 95X                         7    2   0   5   511  560  −49     6
5 Dimetrija                   6    0   0   6   427  504  −77     0

Group E
Ethane 101–71 Kaboomlandia
Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan 57–56 Frenline Delpha

Group E                                          Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Ethane                                    6    4   0   2   509  443  +66    12
2 Jeckland                                  6    4   0   2   484  451  +33    12
3 Kaboomlandia                              7    3   0   4   511  550  −39     9
4 Frenline Delpha                           6    3   0   3   427  438  −11     9
5 Barneata and Molisokita Tel Solvikstan    7    2   0   5   482  531  −49     6

Group F
Qasden 90–87 Natanians and Nosts
Titovija 77–72 Bendicion

Group F                  Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Cosumar                 6    5   0   1   483  389  +94    15
2 Bendicion               6    3   0   3   498  460  +38     9
3 Titovija                7    3   0   4   486  532  −46     9
4 Qasden                  6    3   0   3   433  476  −43     9
5 Natanians and Nosts     7    2   0   5   539  582  −43     6

Group G
Saint Kanye 97–61 West Saintland
Pittopi 63–78 Main Nation Ministry

Group G                 Pld    W   D   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Saint Kanye             6    6   0   0   497  368 +129    18
2 West Saintland          7    4   0   3   514  521   −7    12
3 Pittopi                 7    3   0   4   515  546  −31     9
4 Nova Anglicana          6    2   0   4   427  446  −19     6
5 Main Nation Ministry    6    1   0   5   424  496  −72     3

Group H
Unified Sunrise Islands 57–66 Valanora
Gandak 62–59 Locuterris

Group H                                    Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD   Pts 
1 Valanora                                     7    5   2   539  494  +45    15
3 Gandak                                       7    4   3   518  494  +24     12
2 Unified Sunrise Islands                      6    3   2   469  456  +13    10
4 Nueva Andalusia                              6    2   3   451  455   −4     7
5 Locuterris                                   6    1   5   441  519  −78     3

[Nova Anglicana]

Lion's Roar

A SportsWorld Weblog

Incredibly, Lions Not Yet Eliminated From IBC 22
by Alpha Lion



It's true. However improbable.

Coming in to IBC 22, the Lions of Nova Anglicana definitely had a tough draw. The #3 team in the world (Saint Kanye) and the #8 team in the world (West Saintland) were in their group, and if it weren't for the two unranked nations at the bottom of the group, you might well have called it the "Group of Death." And that was before the Lions lost in their opener to one of those unranked nations, Pittopi. Yes, it hasn't exactly been rainbows and unicorns for the Lions in this competition. They lost their first three games before bouncing back by beating the weaklings at the bottom of the rankings, Main Nation Ministry and Pittopi (and even then, they managed to trail for 150 minutes before taking their first lead in game #4). They had hoped to build on that momentum as they faced Saint Kanye, a team that had already defeated them once, 72-61. An eleven-point loss to the likes of the Surge is nothing to be embarrassed about; after all, they are a formidable team and the only undefeated team in the tournament going into the Lions' second game against them.

Well, shocker, they remained undefeated after that game. Raymon Guidry's teams just haven't been that great in recent years, including a mediocre 4-6 in IBC 21. The Lions started well, leading 13-3 after a few minutes of play. Kelvin Braxton had already gotten loose for a fast break slam and hooked up with Ben Ryan on a nice alley-oop and the stadium was rocking. Unfortunately, they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for the rest of the quarter, allowing the Surge to tie it at 18 after one. While Omar Martin scored six points in the second quarter, including an amazing reverse layup where he absorbed contact from Joel Pond and made the free throw to give the Lions a four-point lead, they only scored twelve in the entire quarter. That's no recipe for success, even if it was only a six-point deficit at halftime. The Surge held the Lions to 13 points in the third quarter, and the only real highlight of the quarter was Lee Morrison getting knocked down by Jayvon Duff on a 3-point attempt and making the free throw to complete the four-point play. Trailing by seven after three, the Lions couldn't compete in the fourth and lost by 17, 74-57. Kelvin Braxton's 15 points on 6-9 shooting was the lone bright spot, as Martin and Cameron Fischer, two of the big scorers for the Lions combined for 13 points on 6-21 shooting, which is less than 30%. Ouch.

But, miracle of miracles, the Lions are not out of it yet, despite their 2-4 record. Saint Kanye routed West Saintland 97-61 yesterday, dropping them to 4-3 and clinching a playoff spot for the Surge. In a surprise, Main Nation Ministry upset Pittopi 78-63 to claim their first victory and send Pittopi to their fourth consecutive loss. This leaves West Saintland 1.5 games ahead of the Lions, and Pittopi 0.5 games ahead, with the Lions having a game in hand on each of them. If the Lions defeat West Saintland in their next game, and Main Nation Ministry in their final game of the group stage, they will finish 4-4 and be tied with West Saintland at least. If Pittopi wins their last game (it's against Saint Kanye, so fat chance), they will also be tied at 4-4. In that case, the tiebreaker is head-to-head points difference. The Lions lost by eleven points to West Saintland, so they would need to win by at least twelve to have the head-to-head advantage there. They have the head-to-head points difference advantage over Pittopi already (+4), so that's moot. If the Lions can't win their last two games and win by at least twelve over West Saintland, then they won't be moving on. It's a tall order, but not impossible. They have to do it somehow, otherwise no playoffs and Raymon Guidry's definitely out of a job.


More from Lion's Roar
Lions take 2 of 3 from Super-Llamaland in Pre-WBC Exhibition
When's the next WCoH?
AVBF 7s delayed

(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.)