International Basketball Championships 27 - IC Thread

[Abaja]

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Quarterfinals Cutoff - Filindostani Side
There are two types of teams; those who Can't Handle the heat, and those who can.

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Quarterfinals Game 1 Results

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Filindostan 67 - 78 Vangaziland
Vangaziland leads series 1-0
@ Arena Olahraga Yogyakulta, Kota Otonomo Yogyakulta

Royal Kingdom of Quebec 64 - 95 Banija
Banija leads series 1-0
@ Kabanalan Astrodome, Kabanalan, Kabishawan

[Banija]

Banijans cruise to victory over their formerly undefeated Quebecois rivals as the Lions find themselves a win away from their first semifinal since IBC 24


Wassa Itraba celebrates hitting a three pointer in Game 1 Quarterfinal victory against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec

KOTO OTONOMO, YOGYAKULTA, FILINDOSTAN- The play even had the normally stoic head coach, Isaiah Lavaga, pumping his fist.

It was the play at the end of the 1st quarter, the one that had all of us saying “wow”. At this point in the game, it was a close, defensive battle. It was the very start of the second quarter, and the Banijans up in a very low scoring game, at that point up with a lead of just 19-13. The first quarter had featured some good defense, and while the Banijans had started 0/4 from deep, they were able to cut into the paint and get points at and around the rim. As well as go 6/6 from the line, of course. But with this 6 point lead in what was shaping up to be a defensive slugfest, this play changed the game. Karamo Turay was in the game, of course, playing some quality defense. The Quebecois point guard drove the ball to the rim, and Turay, the bench center, the team’s only remaining 7 footer, rose up and swatted a shot, the rebound going to Akabueze, who was also spelling Secka. They took the ball slowly up the court, and Itraba ended up with the ball in the corner, isolated. He called for a pick and roll, and ran around the screen, being picked up by the Quebecois center. Recognizing the mismatch, he powered his way to the rim and saw the Quebecois power forward step in his way. At this point, you’d think he’d dish it to the open guy? Not Itraba. He rose up, over and above the bigger power forward, and dunked the ball with two hands straight over their head, and getting a foul call to boot. It was a stunner. It was the type of dunk that would get twii.tur going, and would live for all time on places like twiit.tur.

That sparked some Banijan momentum, and a run. Those were the first three points of what turned out to be a 15-1 Banijan run, where the Banijans scored on six straight possessions, with that Itraba dunk being the first of them. Two of those possessions were in transition, and the last part of this run was a pullup, transition three from Akabueze, and at that point, it seemed as if the Banijans would not be stopped. When the opposing head coach finally called a timeout, not liking what he saw on the floor, the Banijans had inflicted their damage on their Quebecois rivals, and it seemed as if the damage would be permanent- at least on the matchday. They had started the 1st quarter with a 19-13 lead on the Quebecois, and then, after the run, they had a 34-14 lead on the Quebecois- almost burying the game essentially halfway through the 2nd quarter. Lavaga said that spurt of basketball was “the best four minutes of basketball we have played this entire tournament- especially when you consider the magnitude, the stage, the opponent- the fact that they were 12-0 entering this game, the fact that we were playing a deep seated rival.

While the Quebecois tried hard to come back for the rest of the game, the Banijans did a great job, even though they opened a big lead early, on maintaining both their focus and intensity to closeout the Quebecois. While Lavaga was able to empty his entire bench, his first time going beyond 9 players deep since the last game of the group stages, that was not until the very end of the game, when the game was hopelessly out of reach. This is basketball- if it is easy for your team to score in large bursts, certainly your opponent is capable of doing so as well. Any whiff of momentum from the Quebecois- if they’d score 4 or 6 points in a row, get a transition dunk or something, was able to be quickly snuffed out by the Lions. The biggest moment, the moment from the article’s cover photo, was probably a three pointer in the corner by Wassa Itraba that made it a 30 point game, for the first time, when there was 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was an all-around performance by the Banijans. And after a pair of gut wrenching wins that came down to the final possession against Valanora, this was a momentum and confidence builder against a team that they consider one of their top rivals in the sport.

As you may know, of course, there was an off day between Games 1 and 2, which will take place tomorrow. In that off day, we sat down for a decently lengthy interview with the head coach. Here, of course, is the beginning of the lengthy conversation we had with the head coach.

ABSM interviewer: Hey coach Isaiah, thank you for sitting down and joining us today. I’d like to get right into it- but before we talk about this big win against our rivals, first, I want to get your thoughts on the Valanora series. What did you think about the team’s performance? How did we play against our biggest regional neighbor?

Isaiah Lavaga: Well, as you are well aware, this was a slog. IT was never going to be easy against a team as talented as Valanora- and we put our own backs against the wall with a sloppy performance against Valanora in Game 1. We were teetering on the edge of elimination there against a team that was absolutely good enough to beat us, and I don’t think many people realize how close we were to being eliminated. Hats off to Valanora- they worked hard, and played some excellent basketball, and nobody can realistically say they deserved to lose. But that’s why we love sports, right? Somebody’s gotta lose.

ASBM Interviewer: What did you take with you from the Valanora series? What did this team learn?

Isaiah Lavaga: Well, of course, winning close games is hard. This is true in any sport- you’re not going to continuously beat teams by 3 or 4 points in this sport. But when you get deep into a tournament like this, towards the pinnacle of the sport, you have to win close, grind it out games. It shows that there isn’t much to separate the two sides, and that was certainly true against Valanora.

I mean, let’s take a look at Game 3. The margins were razor thin in that game- we outscored them 9-0 in the last two minutes of that game to take a 3 point victory. Hitting baskets, hitting free throws, is the name of the game, and outstanding defense kept them out of the basket at the crucial moment. But what if someone had slipped at the wrong time? Had fouled? It’s a game of inches, and it took incredible resilience to win that one- which this team has. Especially coming off of an emotionally draining win against Valanora in Game 2, when we won a one possession game that came down to the final possession, it showed a lot of heart from our boys. We can take forward that we have the heart, and that the moment, no matter how big, won’t rattle us, and instead, can focus us.

ASBM Interviewer: Let’s look at this Quebec game. This was a statistical anomaly, to say the least. What happened here? Should we expect it again?

Isaiah Lavaga: I will readily admit- this was certainly a statistical outlier. But finally, this is the kind of quick paced basketball that we want this team to play. WE’ve talked about hitting the 90 points mark- and we did so in this game, for the first time since the knockouts. The knockout stages we averaged 89 points per game, and it was an excellent offensive performance all around. Valanora stifled our offense in Game 1, holding us to just 68 points, but we’ve gotten better throughout that series. WE are used to the stage, and now even though the stage is bigger in a quarterfinal, and the lights are that much brighter thanks to Quebec being the opponent, we came out prepared, and played an excellent game.

Do I expect many further blowouts in this late stage of the tournament? Of course not. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec has a quality basketball program- they are going to come out swinging here in Game 2. Their first loss of the tournament, and against a rival. They’ll be swinging for the fences in Game 2, and that will make our task, winning the closeout game, that much tougher. But this game showed what we’re capable of. It sent a message- even though the trophy cabinet for this team is bare when it comes to the IBCs, that we are certainly capable of going toe to toe with the sport’s established powers.

You can read the rest of the interview on Page 40 of this edition of the magazine

[Filindostan]

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Cutoff for Quarterfinals, Game 2 - Abajan Side
The gravity of this game is vast for the teams wanting to avoid elimination.

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Quarterfinals Game 1 Results

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Drawkland 79–76 Free Republics
Series tied 1-1
@ Valkea Airlines Arena, Buhayra, Northern State

Ethane 76–64 Newmanistan
Ethane wins series 2-0
@ Harrington-Poindexter Stadium, New Plymouth, Heartland

[Abaja]

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Quarterfinals Game 2 Cutoff - Filindostani Side
Even if you lose a game, or get eliminated, you've gotta Keep Ya Head Up.

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Quarterfinals Game 2 Results

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Vangaziland 91 - 75 Filindostan
Vangaziland wins series 2-0
@ Arena Olahraga Yogyakulta, Kota Otonomo Yogyakulta

Banija 80 - 66 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Banija wins series 2-0
@ Kabanalan Astrodome, Kabanalan, Kabishawan

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Semifinals - Filindostani Side

[3] Banija vs Vangaziland [4]
Game 1: Jakultarena, Jakulta, Tanjung Pagi
Game 2: Arena Jakultarena, Jakulta, Tanjung Pagi
Game 3 (if needed): Jakultarena, Jakulta, Tanjung Pagi

[Filindostan]

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Cutoff for Quarterfinals, Game 3 - Abajan Side
Anyone wanting to be heroes, rise to the occasion in this do or die game.

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Quarterfinals Game 3 Results

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Free Republics 70–91 Drawkland
Drawkland wins series 2-1
@ Wallis Center, Abaja City, Ugaji

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Semifinals - Abajan Side

Drawkland vs Ethane
Game 1: Zorgadi Air Arena, Olulawi, Capital District
Game 2: Eyeugbé Arena, Kingston, Burán
Game 3 (if necessary): Zorgadi Air Arena, Olulawi, Capital District

[Banija]

Banijan elimination of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec in the IBC 27 Quarterfinals just the latest installment of the great basketball rivalry between these two nations


Banijan player celebrates a 4th quarter block in Banija's 80-66 series clinching victory over the Royal Kingdom of Quebec

KABANALAN, KABISHAWAN, FILINDOSTAN- Lately, it's been pretty clear who has gotten the better of the Quebecois v. Banijan basketball rivalry- and for the first time in a long time, we can say Banija.

Now, of course, Banija has had stretches of times where we clearly had the better team, though that has rarely, if ever, been the case on the women’s side. But right now, we can say that the Lions are clearly getting the better of one of their biggest rivals in the sport, and that a victory over them en route to our first appearance in the IBC semifinals since IBC 24 makes it that much sweeter. Of course, there are all the ingredients that make a good rivalry in an international sport- close diplomatic relations, lots of connections between populations and cultures of Banija and Quebec, and lots of play for championships between the two countries. And now, with the end of another installment in favor of the Banijans, we’ll go through the history of this rivalry, for Banijan readers and readers abroad, for the benefit of those who are unaware. We’ll be talking about, of course, their history of battles through the Commonwealth Games, and battles elsewhere that they’ve had.

But first, of course, we’ll talk about this game. It wasn’t like Game 1, and almost everybody agreed it wouldn’t be like Game 1. The Banijans got hot in Game 1, and the game got out of hand real early, as the Banijans never really slowed down on their way to a 31 point victory. The offense scored 95 points, above their group stage average of 89 a game, and held their opponents to just 64 points, easily their best defensive output in quite a number of games. But that was never going to hold for Game 2. It was an elimination game, and when you are in an elimination game against one of your big rivals, you aren’t going to get run off the court- that’s simply how it works. And the Quebecois came out firing, as they took a 6 point lead into halftime, by a score of 41-35. But it was the 3rd quarter where the Banijans were able to impose their will on the game. A 12-0 run to start the quarter allowed them to open up a 47-41 lead on the Quebecois, and from there, they never looked back. The team led for the remainder of the second half, and whenever the Quebecois would throw something at them, the Banijans would show up and punch back even harder. The dagger on the night, of course, had to be when Secka, dribbling down the clock with just over a minute left, made a step back three pointer to give the Banijans a 74-64 lead with 1:10 remaining on the clock. Any hope that the Quebecois had of coming back was gone with that heat check shot from Banija’s star point guard. The Banijans hit free throws the rest of the way, going 6/8 from the line in the final minute of the game, as they advanced in this tournament.

It was a solid victory, and Isaiah Lavaga gave credit to his opponents. “You know, we’ve never played each other on the stage of the IBCs before, and it was an entertaining battle. I give full credit to the Royal Kingdom of Quebec- they came back after Game 1, and gave us their best shot, throwing everything they had at us. Our intensity in the first half did not match theirs, and they hustled and earned their way to victory. But like I’ve said- this team is the best Banijan team that I’ve seen in a hell of a long time, and might be one of the best teams we’ve ever had. We’ve thoroughly earned our spot in the semifinals, and now we have one hell of a lot matchup coming up- the defending champs, Vangaziland. While we celebrate today, tomorrow it’s back to the drawing board. We’ve maintained that the minimum goal has to be to reach the semifinals, and we have done so in a fashion that leaves nobody doubting. Of course, we’re gonna have our hands full with Vangaziland. They’ve won 9 in a row, and seem to be peaking at the right time, winning their last three knockout stage games by double digits, including putting up 91 points on the co-hosts, Filindostan.” We will surely talk about that much more in our preview of the IBC 27 Semifinals. But now is not the time. We’ll talk about the biggest moments in the history of Banijan basketball vs. Quebecois basketball, and who has gotten the best of each other over the years.

Inaugural Commonwealth Games

This was the very first edition of the Commonwealth Games. Now, of course, not all of our readers may be familiar with what the heck this is. The Commonwealth Games happens generally every four years, an Olympic-style event for members of the Quebecois Commonwealth. Participants are nations that either currently, or formerly, had constitutional links to the former Quebecois empire. Banija’s participation, of course, Is due to the fact that we were formerly colonized by the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, for two time periods. 1815-1835, and then briefly independent from 1835 to 1841, when Sebowa declared himself Maharaja(Emperor) of all Banija. The declaration, of course, was made on the site of the Stadium of the Restoration, and that’s where the stadium gets its name from- the restoration of the monarchy. A brutal civil war, of course, then broke out between the Kasanke, the tribe of Sebowa, and other minority tribes within the country. The violence reached a fevered pitch when Sebowa and the members of his immediate family were captured, and beheaded, in this civil war. The Quebecois then came in and recolonized the country to stabilize it, and were in charge until a peaceful transfer of power back to the Banijans in 1906. They joined the newly formed Quebecois Commonwealth of Nations in the 1920s, and have been an eager participant in the organization since. The Busoga Islands, of course, have chosen to not become members of the Commonwealth, despite their former colonial status.

The inaugural Commonwealth Games were held in Quebec City, in 1930. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec, of course, took the most medals at these games, which is unsurprising to most observers. While we can talk about other sports, let’s talk about basketball here. This was the first instance of a competitive match between the Quebecois national team and the Banijan national team. On the women’s side, the Banijans were eliminated in the group stages of the competition. But the Banijan men had a miracle run to the final, winning their group and defeating South Detroit in the quarterfinal, and Ilyria in the semifinals. This took them to the Gold medal match of the Commonwealth Games in basketball, one of the feature events of the tournament(alongside soccer and gridiron). Unfortunately for the Banijans, the Quebecois ran them off the floor in this game, winning by a score of 75-45 to win the first ever Gold Medal in men’s basketball in the Commonwealth Games. And it would be a while before the Banijans had an opportunity for revenge- in each Commonwealth Games following, the Banijans got eliminated before the Quebecois, and did not have a chance to face them. While they played various friendly games against each other, their next competitive match would be 26 years later, at the Attawapiskat Games, in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec.

Attawapiskat Commonwealth Games

This would be the next opportunity for the Banijans to play the Quebecois competitively- and for the first time, both the Banijan men and women went to the knockout stages of the Commonwealth Games. The Banijan women, who had taken long strides since the inaugural Commonwealth Games in Quebec City, had finally been competing at the level that they were fully capable of doing. In 1952, just four years before the Attawapiskat games, the women had advanced to the semifinals of the competition for the first time ever. Unfortunately for them, they fell to Nuevo Caracas. But still- a watershed moment for Banija’s women. And four years later, on Quebecois soil, they would be back in the semifinals of this tournament. And who would their opponent be? None other than the Quebecois women. The Quebecois women were coming into this one as the defending champions, and, on home soil, as the big favorites.

But it would be at Attawapiskat where the Banijan women would pull off what many consider to be ‘the greatest upset in Commonwealth Games history’. Is that generally an accurate statement? Probably not, considering the Banijans were in the semifinals of this tournament just four years prior. But still- the Quebecois women were the defending gold medalists, and on home soil, the overwhelming favorites. Maybe they came in too proud? This is almost an entire century ago, mind you. But the Banijan women stunned them- a 56-51 victory in a low scoring, grind it out kind of basketball game. The Banijan women were physical, were fast ,and their defense was absolutely stifling. Baskets were at a premium on both sides, but the Banijans made just enough of them to push their team over the top, and into the gold medal match for the first time. The Banijan women then won the gold medal on Quebecois soil by defeating Ilyria in the Gold Medal match of the tournament.

Istria Commonwealth Games

And now, of course, for the first Commonwealth Games held in Banija- the Istria Commonwealth Games. Just 8 years after the Attawapiskat games, these games were a great success from a Banijan standpoint- this was the first time that the Kingdom of Banija topped the medal table, and it was, to that date anyways, the best performance team Banija, in aggregate, put on throughout the entirety of the tournament. But we’re not here to talk about the Commonwealth Games in general- we’re here to talk about Banijan basketball at these games. And as this was a watershed tournament for Banija, this was a watershed for the competition as well- it would be the first time in the Commonwealth Games, this tournament being the 8th Commonwealth Games that the team has ever played, that both the men’s and women’s finals were the same- Banija vs. Quebec on both sides.

The arena at Franklin Indoor, on the campus of the University of Loyola-Istria, was packed for both games, which were played on the same night. The overwhelmingly pro-Banijan crowd cheered the Banijan women to their second ever Commonwealth gold medal, as the women won gold in stunning fashion when, down one, point guard Awa Secka(no relation to the player of the same last name on the IBC 27 squad) hit a buzzer beating floater to win the gold medal. It was a stunning, and thrilling finish. The men, of course, had never won the gold at the Commonwealth Games to this point, and in Banija’s biggest city, finally climbed the mountain, winning the gold in a 10 point victory.

Montreal Commonwealth Games

The Istria Commonwealth Games started a run by the original golden generation of Banijan basketball players, at least on the men’s side. They won the gold in the ensuing pair of tournaments as well, establishing themselves as the leading basketball power in the Quebecois Commonwealth for this period of time. At this point, of course, Banija’s own sporting development had saw them rise to be the Commonwealth’s clear #2 sporting power, just behind the titular nation. And there was nowhere where this was more clear than in basketball, where the men had won three straight gold medals, and were going for a fourth.

Now, of course, we cannot chronicle every competitive meeting between the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and the Kingdom of Banija- just the biggest ones. While they did not face off in 1968, in 1972, the Banijans beat the Quebecois in the quarterfinals. But here, in 1976 in the city of Montreal, the two nations faced off again, this time for the gold medal. The Banijans going for what would certainly be an unprecedented fourth straight gold medal, against the host nation Quebecois. The Quebecois, of course, playing in front of their home fans, were absolutely motivated. And they took the game directly to the Banijans. The Banijans had looked likely to fall throughout the tournament- South Detroit had missed a wide open layup at the buzzer in the quarterfinals, and some shoddy refereering put them through the semifinals. But the lack ran out on the Lions, as the Royal Kingdom of Quebec men finally took back the gold in a 70-58 victory over the Lions.

Busukuma Commonwealth Games

These games, of course, were held in the national capitol- celebrating the 100th anniversary of Banijan independence. Now, of course, the 2006 games were held 30 years after Monreal- or the 7th tournament since the last one we mentioned. In that period, the Banijans and Quebecois played twice, both on the women’s side. In 1988, in Quebec City, the Banijan women defeated the Royal Kingdom of Quebec in the bronze medal game, while at the 1988 games, just 10 years later, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec women defeated the Lionesses in the semifinal en route to the gold medal.

In Busukuma, the Banijan capitol, the Quebecois women put on one of the most dominating performances in Commonwealth history. One of their best teams on record, they romped through the women’s side of the Commonwealth Games, including inflicting a big defeat on the hometown Banijans in the quarterfinals of this tournament. On the men’s side, however, it would be the Banijans that would show their dominance, as the two nations met in the semifinals, and the Banijans blew out the Quebecois on their home floor, in their national capitol. However, the Banijans only won silver as a shock upset by South Detroit saw that nation win a gold medal on the men’s side.

Most Recent Commonwealth Games

Now, of course, the 2036 Commonwealth Games- the most recent edition of the tournament. This is the most relevant to the current conversation, of course, as this is what sets up the scene for the IBC quarterfinal matchup that Banijan just won. Both teams were ascending at these games, as the men’s and women’s teams met in the gold medal games at the tournament- something that was not exactly a common occurrence. The Quebecois women are in the midst of a golden generation of their women, and they rode that golden generation to a championship- winning the gold medal at these games in the midst of running through the tournament undefeated. On the women’s side, it was the first time that the Banijan women had ever entered the gold medal game undefeated and still lost- but yet, there was no shame in losing to the buzzsaw of the Quebecois women. Led by Riley-Jean Dubois, the Quebecois took apart the field and thoroughly deserved the title that they won.

On the men’s side, however, this was the last chance for the Savaneh twins to win gold. The generation of Banijans that dominated the IBC24-26 squads, and the last Olympics, wanted to get their hands on some silverware. And not doing so at the IBCs was a disappointment, but at least on the other hand, they were able to do so at the Commonwealth Games. The first gold in men’s basketball for the Banijan men since the 2014 games, it was a desperate effort by the Savaneh twins to define for themselves a legacy. Four players from the IBC 27 squad, Secka, Bartaba, Nabongo, and Ontambu, were on the gold medal team at this tournament. The Banijan men put on their best performance in years, and the title starved players, who had come up short on basketball’s biggest stage, were at least able to put themselves into Banijan lore by winning gold at this tournament.

And there you have it- the biggest moments of Banija v. Quebec. What a rivalry- and there are other games that we simply didn’t have the print space to mention. But that’s the history of the rivalry, and that’s why this matchup mattered so much- playing for the highest stakes on a higher stage than the Commonwealth Games. Can the Banijans ride the confidence of that victory into the semifinals against the defending champs? We’ll have to wait and see.

[Vangaziland]

Mark Ewingson was becoming more and more popular in Vangaziland. His name was beyond ‘household’ status. He was a superstar, an A-lister. Many thought he was a Vannish all time basketball great.

Mark is still relatively young and has a long way to go in his career. Things started great in his IBC tenure with a title in his first season. Mark was a standout, leading the Vannish to their first basketball championship.

“Playing this sport means everything to me”, Ewingson said after the Royals defeated Filindostan in a two game series. “All I can do is play a hundred percent strong.

Ewingson led scoring throughout the series. He averaged 26 points between the games. He added 2 assists in game 1 and a lone assist in game 2. It should be noted that he tallied 5 turnovers in the short series. This is more of a result of tough defense than careless play.

“We don’t need Mark to drop 40 every night”, said coach Kate Foyelson. “All he has to do is be a threat. I’d like to see him move the ball around more, but he has to score first.”

Steven Eaglesen spoke on how the Royals keep their offense fresh. “We can’t let things get stagnant. If we’re running more iso through him, it means we need to move around him.”

Point Guards Eaglesen and Sarah Overson both play well off the starting SG. Overson had a strong night in the second match against Filindostan despite a poor shooting performance. She managed 11 assists, but was limited to 8 points.

“As long as I can move the ball, I’m doing my part”, Overson said. “I need to work on deeper set shooting since Mark kicks it back a lot.”

Sarah drove several times off a catch, squaring up her opponent before proceeding. The lady PG is enough of a prolific passer to carry an iso game. She also has the handle needed to break down a crowded defense. Her ability to kick back to Mark or drive and dish makes the antiquated system run well.

“It’s isolation ball at the core”, said Art Vesuvian. The 7’2 center has a knack for the 3 point shot. His ability to shoot from distance adds another long threat.

“We have enough shooters to run a diverse playbook. We don’t need one person to score, even though Mark usually does”, said coach Kate. “This forces defenses to react. But they know others are also threats. It ends up giving Mark just enough space to operate.”

Vangaziland will take on Banija in the semifinals. It will be their toughest match of season 27. The orange, white and green are in top form this season. “We have to go day by day”, Ewingson said about the matchup. “It’ll make great TV.”

[Filindostan]

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Cutoff for Semifinals, Game 1 - Abajan Side
Let's start the semifinals, and stoke the fire.

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Semifinals Game 1 Result

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Drawkland 77–70 Ethane
Drawkland leads series 1-0
@ Zorgadi Air Arena, Olulawi, Capital District

[Banija]

Banija v. Vangaziland- who will advance to the IBC 27 Finals?


Wassa Itraba makes a midrange jumper over a Quebecois defender in Game 2 of IBC 27 Quarterfinal matchup

OLUWALI, CAPITAL DISTRICT, FILINDOSTAN- The saying goes like this- if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. And Banija, desperately, wants to hoist the sports' top trophy for the first time ever. And who will they have to go through? Their toughest opponent- the world #1, the tournament's hottest team as winners of 9 in a row, and the defending champions, Vangaziland.

Vangaziland came into this tournament as favorites, and after a slightly slow start that included a matchday 5 loss to Valanora(a team that was so very close to knocking Banija out in the Round of 16), they have been absolutely sizzling since their first loss of the tournament. Vangaziland is winners of 9 straight- and the only team, at this point, that has not lost a playoff game yet, dispatching of the Alpine Union in a relatively easy sweep in the Round of 16, and then taking it to the co-hosts, Filindostan, in the quarterfinals, in a relatively simple sweep in the quarterfinals, even when they had homecourt advantage. And look at the margin of victory that they’ve had in their last five games. They beat Valanora, a team that beat Banija by 13 in Game 1, and then lost a pair of one possession games to just barely get felled by the Lions, by 42 points in the final game of group stage play. Yes, a score of 116-74. A thorough domination of a team that would then play Banija, but that game did not tell the whole story.

They have systematically controlled the game in each of their fourth playoff matches so far. With the raised stakes and the brighter lights, they have responded like champions do- by bringing their A game forward. They beat the Alpine Union by 9 points in Game 1, they won Game 2 by 15 points. And their star player, Mark Ewingson, was a dominant force in both games. According to Vannish media reports, the star shooting guard put up 37 points against Alpine Union in Game 1, powering the defending champions to a victory in that one. And he followed that up with an excellent Game 2 performance as well, putting up 25 to sweep aside Alpine Union and bring on their toughest challenge of the tournament so far- the tournament’s co-hosts, the team with home court advantage, with all the fans in this tournament, a team that is also desperately searching for a title- Filindostan.

Vangaziland was a team long looking for their first title, with runner-up finishes in IBC 19 and IBC 24, before finally climbing the mountain in IBC 26. Now they are looking to start something that St.Kanye had- a dynasty atop the sport. And they have the ability to do so. Mark Ewingson is a superstar in his own right, a man who averaged 31 a night against Alpine Union, and 26 a night in a pair of effectively away games against Filindostan. They are at the mountain, but going to back to back would be an incredible feat, one that they would absolutely be proud of. And they kept on that mission in the quarterfinals, easily dispatching of Filindostan twice in a row. They were able to keep mentally focused, drown out the outside noise from the media, and frankly, drown out the actual noise from the raucous home fans, to return to the semifinals of the IBCs once again. They’re becoming a fixture at this stage, and as a team that has been playing its best basketball over their past five games, they certainly have to come in as favorites against the Banijans.

Now, of course, we already know how the Banijans got here. How, after getting pasted against Valanora in Game 1, the Lions grinded a pair of one possession victories over a gritty and gutsy Valanora team, a series that, even if Banija won and were deserved winners, that Valanora certainly did not deserve to lose. Of course, that’s sports, isn’t it? Then, of course, Banija played one of their biggest sporting rivals in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, a team that, to that point, had gone undefeated in the IBCs, sporting a perfect 12-0 record entering the quarterfinal, while Banija’s record was 11-2. The Banijans, however, put on a clinic against their rivals. It’s unsure what slowed the Banijans down against Valanora- was it arrogance? Was the pressure of expectation piling onto the Lions? But their focus was incredible against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, and a 31 point pasting- the biggest win in the history of the rivalry against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec- ended up being the main story of Game 2, and the Banijans cruised to a relatively easy 14 point victory in Game 2, getting the sweep.

What are the keys to this series? Both teams got sweeps, so they’re both going to be well rested, and healthy, for the highly anticipated semifinal. Of course, the first key to the game, and the main focus, has to be how to stop their main scorer, Mark Ewingson. The best player on Vangaziland, and one of the best in the entirety of the multiverse, Ewingson absolutely has to be the favorite to put on the show. How will the Banijan 1-3-1 fare against him? That is the main question on the night. Being able to close on Ewingson as he moves towards the basket will be key. But while he is always their key, there is an X factor player for Vangaziland too, who they will need in addition to what will surely be a star performance by Ewingson- players like Ewingson won’t be shut down for the entirety of the 40 minutes. That key is the 7’2 big man Art Vesuvian. The pick and roll between Ewingson and the center can be devastating. They can float it into the big man who is rumbling towards the basket, or, what is more likely, they can put him at the top of the key and see if he can outshoot the zone. That is the way to break down the zone defense ran by the Lions- by outshooting the defense.

By putting Vesuvian at the top of the key, Vangaziland do make a sacrifice- and that will be offensive rebounding. The Savaneh twins are no more on this basketball team, and Banija’s rebounding has taken a hit. With Vesuvian and Juell Sampsen both in the paint, especially facing Banija’s closeout lineup, they’d be unstoppable. But Banija’s closeout lineup is a small lineup, with their biggest player the 6’8 center, Ilman Corr- outsized by both the 7’2 vannish center Vesuvian, and the 6’10 Vannish power forward Sampsen. But that ability to stretch that 1-3-1 zone to the limit, if Vesuvian is hitting those outside three pointer, will be the key to the defending champs breaking the Banijan defense. That is going to give the Vannish head coach, Kate Foyelson, some choices to make. How will she try to break down this Banijan defense? Will she try to outshoot it, by allowing Vesuvian to keep shooting from deep? Or will she, when it gets deep into the fourth quarter and the Banijan lineup is smaller, try to stick the center on the post and outmuscle it? With that size advantage, they could give the Banijans some serious pain on the offensive glass. That would seem to go against the style of basketball the Vannish have employed this tournament, but a 7’2 Vesuvian posting up against a 6’8 Ilman Corr deep in the fourth quarter would cause some serious matchup problems for the Lions.

We have talked, in depth, about the Vannish potential offensive strategies- what about Banija’s offensive strategies? Vangaziland doesn’t run the zone defense, which Banija likes because of their size. No, Vangaziland likes their athletes a lot, and will run a strict man to man. Where does that leave the opportunity for Banija to score? The two teams run similar offensive styles, and it will come down to simple execution for the Banijans. Banija is smaller at every position in the starting lineup- but when you sacrifice size in basketball, you gain in speed and agility. The Banijans have quick athletes, and not only those screen and rolls, but the off the ball screens will be key. Creating a lot of off the ball movement can confuse a man to man defense, and players like Uster playing catch and shoot off of screen, or Itraba catching the ball off of a screen and creating a mini 2 on 1 with his center against Vesuvian would be a big deal as well.

How do we predict Game 1? This will certainly be a tall order- are the Banijans ready for the big time? With their dominating win against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, and frankly, with the men’s team coming off of a gold medal performance at the Commonwealth Games, this tournament seems like a better time than ever for the Banijans to finally scale up to the top of the mountain. This series, however, will be an entertaining one. These two teams impressed the most in the quarterfinals, and the winner of what will surely be a close and entertaining series will be favored against the winner of Drawkland and Ethane. We’re not going to predict a score or a winner for game 1 here- lots of variable factors. But here’s what we will tell you. Knowing how these teams like to play, and knowing the energy that the crowd will bring to the Filindostani capital, we know that it will be faced paced. This will be a game of runs. Both teams will leave it all on the court. And it will be quite a spectacle for everyone to watch. And hopefully, it will be the Lions who can knock the Vannish off of their throne.

[Abaja]

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Semifinals Game 1 Cutoff - Filindostani Side
The Adventure continues the third round of the IBC XXVII knockout rounds decides which team will enter into the finals!

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Semifinals Game 1 Results

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Banija 66 - 95 Vangaziland
Vangaziland leads series 1-0
@ Jakultarena, Jakulta, Tanjung Pagi

[Banija]

IBC 27 Semifinals Game 1 at Jakultarena in Jakulta, Tanjung Pagi, Filindostan

As Steven Eagleson once again carved his way through the Banijan defense and threw yet another alley-oop to Juell Sampsen early in the 4th quarter, Isaiah Lavaga put his hands up. He had seen everything, he thought, but the play that he had been witnessing in this game, especially on the defensive end, was absolutely unacceptable. He accepted the premise that they'd have a monumental task ahead of them- trying to stop a team that is en route for consecutive titles and is, indeed, trying to establish themselves as not just champions, but a dynasty atop the sport. But what he had seen from his players, in response to the challenge, was absolutely awful.

They could not stop anybody. Mark Ewingson, Vangaziland's star shooting guard, was carving them up. Even though they forced quite a few turnovers from the star player, the Banijan defense could do little but watch as Ewingson seemed to score at will. Lavaga, at this point, knew that the gig was up on this game anyways. They'd have to come back for Game 2, just in a couple of nights, with some big time adjustments. Lavaga called a timeout and removed his starters from the floor- the score was 85-50 with 6 minutes left in the game, neither team was going to play their rotational players for the game's remainder. And Lavaga absolutely despised where he was at this moment- playing the entirety of the end of the bench in an IBC 27 Semifinal, where his team was on the receiving end of a historic blowout?

He knew, of course, that with another semifinal loss, he'd face the same pressures that faced other Banijan teams that almost could get over the hump, but just could not quite do so with the necessary authority. Everyone knew about Banija's gridiron failures- the three straight semifinal losses in a row, then their fall from grace and their climb back to the semifinals in the last World Bowl, only to once again bring back the bad memories by falling to Drawkland(again). And, of course, now that the basketball team had lost deep in the knockout stages the last three tournaments, the chokers label was coming to them. I mean, in essence, that's why he'd gotten the job, right? To fix that.

The game ended with the final score of 95-66, the 29 point margin national team's worst loss since the beginning of IBC 24. The worst kind of record to set, right? In his postgame press conference, Isaiah Lavaga told reporters that 'everything needed to change'. "This was the worst loss suffered by the Lions in quite some time, and it was absolutely deserved." He told reporters. "Our hustle wasn't there. Our focus was elsewhere. And certainly, you have to give full credit to the Royals, but they made us pay for it. Mark Ewingson scoring 29, Steve Eaglesen having 10 assists, Overson having 5 assists of her own off of the bench, they were able to exploit the holes in our zone defense with devastating effectiveness. That's high quality basketball- finding your opponent's weaknesses, and taking full advantage. Their ability to do that is why they're the defending champions."

"Fortunately for us, however, the series is not over. There is everything to play for in two nights time when we get to Game 2 of this series- of course, if we play like this, it will be a long flight back home to Busukuma. But I am confident that we can improve on our showing here. Of course, it's hard to get any worse than a 29 point loss. But we're going to make all kinds of adjustments. Now, of course, you can't simply ignore what got us here, and throw out the playbook- we have a system that works, and of course, we have to execute it better. If the system was a failure, we would have been felled by Valanora or the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. ANd yet, the adjustments.

What are the keys against the Royals? WE have to contain Ewingson. He was the difference, literally speaking- their leading scorer with 29 points, who barely played in the fourth quarter. Eaglesen carved us up with 10 assists, continually finding open players in the paint. Oversen did the same thing. Even Sampsen killed us on the offensive glass. We're not going to throw everything out, but we're certainly going to make the necessary player personnel adjustments that we need to make so that we can get back to playing our game, as we stare down elimination, once again, in Game 2."

[Vangaziland]

Vannish shooting created havoc in the Royals’ first playoff match against Banija. Vangaziland faced a tough zone defense. The team started with a fierce 1st quarter battle. It wasn’t even for the Vannish to establish themselves early in the game. A few missed shots transformed into a sluggish start.

Things picked up once shooters got hot off Ewingson’s movement. “We knew we had to throw in more screens and movement to throw off our opponents”, said coach Kate Foyelson.

While playing a zone defense, the Banijans didn’t want to switch. Movement around the perimeter and surprising cuts started throwing a wrench into their opponent’s defensive plan.

Things were still fairly close into the second. Ewingson didn’t make much early headway. It almost seemed as if he weren’t being as aggressive as he could be. Art Vesuvian played well up top, forcing height up top to guard the Vannish big man.

“There’s a lot of talk about what I bring to the team”, said Mark Ewingson. “Art might not have the numbers yet. He’s young. Vangaziland has never had a center that could be a threat from out there.

Ewingson scored 18 of his 29 points in the second half. He seemed to turn on the motors that coasts throughout the early game.

“Mark knows he can’t always shoulder the team”, said PG Steven Eaglesen. “We try to get the team involved, as the backcourt.” Critics have said Eaglesen appears less dominant over the offense than former PG Hectare Yulssen.

Sarah Overson added her take. She’s fulfilled the backup PG role for several seasons and is seeing more time his year. Much of her match against Banija was highlighted by intangibles. She had the handling skills to keep her opponents on the balls of their feet. Stand flat footed, and she’ll catch one you off balance. Anticipate where she’s going and she’ll force you to switch your stance. The distracting moves hurt the ability to defend passes. Sarah even dove into the sidelines to retrieve two loose balls.

Mark Ewingson is excellent at moving off screens. 3 of Sarah’s 5 assists set Mark up for fade-away jumpshots. Most of her passes simply set plays into motion. The zone defense made passing harder and forced Vangazi to create.

The starters sat for much of the 4th. Jake Frost scored two big late threes to help establish the bubble before the game got out of hand for Banija.

“They’re such a talented team”, said Mark Ewingson. “They can come back and we’ll have to play hard to get another win.”

DJ Orion had a fairly poor match. He scored 8 points, but this came on 3 of 9 shooting. He had a tougher time adapting to Banijian defense. Most of his shots were challenged. 4 of his points came from fast break dunks. He also scored his two free throws. “The team will need more from me”, Orion said. “I grabbed a few rebounds”, (6) said the small forward. “I still need to do more from the starting spot.”

[Abaja]

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Semifinals Game 2 Cutoff - Filindostani Side
I'm out of phrases. But at least we have the second Cutoff for the semifinals!

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Semifinals Game 2 Results

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Vangaziland 77 - 57 Banija
Vangaziland wins series 2-0
@ Jakultarena, Jakulta, Tanjung Pagi

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IBC XXVII Finals
Vangaziland vs Winner of Drawkland/Ethane
Game 1: Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan
Game 2: Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan
Game 3, if needed: Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan

IBC XXVII Third Place
Banija vs Loser of Drawkland/Ethane
Game 1: Harrington-Poindexter Stadium, New Plymouth, Heartland
Game 2: Eyeugbé Arena, Kingston, Buran
Game 3, if needed: Harrington-Poindexter Stadium, New Plymouth, Heartland

[Filindostan]

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Cutoff for Semifinals, Game 2 - Abajan Side
What fate awaits the two teams after Game 2?

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Semifinals Game 2 Result

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Ethane 64–75 Drawkland
Drawkland wins series 2-0
@ Eyeugbé Arena, Kingston, Burán

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IBC XXVII Finals
Vangaziland vs Drawkland
Game 1: Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan
Game 2: Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan
Game 3, if needed: Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan

IBC XXVII Third Place
Banija vs Ethane
Game 1: Harrington-Poindexter Stadium, New Plymouth, Heartland
Game 2: Eyeugbé Arena, Kingston, Buran
Game 3, if needed: Harrington-Poindexter Stadium, New Plymouth, Heartland

[Drawkland]

DRAWKLAND IS BACK AGAIN!
Written By: Thomas Peterson and Luke Roberts

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You read that right, the Net Corps is back in the IBC finals! And this time, it's gonna be a best-of-three series to decide it all! This is one of the best rebounds we've seen from a Drawkian team. While the Grid Corps nearly had a repeat win in the most recent World Bowl, they failed to do so.

Still, this is the best consistent performance we've seen from a team since we started participating in the NSCAA. If you consider making a final but not winning it a success, then you could probably include the IAC in that as well. But you can't deny that 3 straight semifinal appearances and 2 final appearances is something to be proud of as a Drawkian.

Without further ado, let's get on with how we got here at all.

GROUP STAGE
Things got out to a pretty rocky start. The second pot team of our group, Abanhfleft, was set to be our first opponent of the tournament. This should've been no problem, right? Well, we ended up losing by 15 points. A loss was definitely within the realm of possibility, but losing by double digits is not the way you want to start out a campaign when you still have title hopes. To be fair, Abanhfleft's old, skilled, and experienced starting 5 had retired immediately following IBC 26. This should've translated in Drawkland wiping the floor with the new blood, but they came out shooting and caught us by surprise. In any case, a loss isn't the end of the world, no matter how much it stings. Especially when it's against the only other real threat in your group.

The most logical way to rebound (heh) from a loss is to come back and win a game with equal prowess. The Net Corps did just that, beating the Pot 3 United States of Devonta by 13 points. They nearly replicated their loss against Abanhfleft, but with the roles reversed. Unfortunately, with Abanhfleft getting themselves another win, Drawkland would be playing from behind on the table for the rest of the group stage it would seem.

Once again Drawkland came out to play against their next opponent, the unknown Viveksylvania. The Net Corps was shooting all over the place on the newbies, scoring 94 points (thanks mainly to Darren Roser's massive 30 points on the game) in what would be a 14-point blowout. Unfortunately, another new nation in the group was managing to make noise. The United Nations of Europa defeated Viveksylvania on a last-second shot on day 1, and took an expected to Abanhfleft day 2. On day 3, they flexed their might on their fellow new groupmates Mytanija, unloading an unprecedented 117 point offensive performance while holding Mytanija to "just" 82 points. Riding on the back of this win, United Nations of Europa were actually on top of Drawkland on the table at 2-1, further disheartening Net Corps fans at the time.

With United Nations of Europa starting to look like a threat in the group, and Drawkland needing to stay tight in the group race, it was no secret that the MD4 matchup between these two nations would be paramount in deciding the tone for the rest of the group stage of both teams. A win could easily put the winning team up top and have a bit of leeway in the future, while the loser would have to treat every remaining game as a battle for their lives. The Net Corps, thankfully, delivered, dropping 90 on Europa and holding them to only 70, a 20-point win resembling those that Abanhfleft was pulling off day in and day out. Once again, Darren Roser was showing out with 31 points on the game. Most people chalked it up to the fact that Group B's matches were being played in Zorgadi Air Arena, home of the Olulawi Fireflames. Conveniently, these were home confines for Roser, who plays for the Fireflames in Abaja during the domestic season.

With Drawkland now firmly in control of the second-place spot in the group and now gearing towards taking down Abanhfleft, the momentum was all on the Net Corps' side. A 34-point enormous blowout against the maligned Mytanija only furthered this sentiment, as Drawkland was now two games ahead of the 3-way tie for third. This game was an offensive spectacle, as guards Autumn Trallen and Taveon Holland combined for 64 points, raining fire on the hapless Mytanijan defense.

The second half of the group stage was now underway. The teams were relocated to the second host city in Ikeland, as they'd played the previous half in Olulawi. This first game in the new setting would be the second large challenge for Drawkland, as this was the rematch with Abanhfleft. A win here could change the dynamic of the group, turning it from just holding on to our place in second to battling day after day with the Fleftics to gain control of the group. While the Net Corps finally came out on top, a mainly defensive battle turning in a score of 63-72, the head-to-head implications meant that Abanhfleft would still be on top of the group via tiebreakers. However, both teams being 5-1 still opened up the field for Drawkland to try and take a lead and hope Abanhfleft blinks first.

Unfortunately, it was us Drawkians that blinked first. The very next game, against the United States of Devonta, ended up a disaster. Last half, Drawkland had easily taken care of them in a double digit win, but the Devontans would not falter so easily this time around. They fought us hard in a defensive showdown, which ended regulation tied up at a meager 67. All of Drawkland's offensive weapons had been relatively stymied, but at least they'd been doing their job on the defensive side of the ball. Missed opportunities and bad shot selection were rampant in this match, and this was highlighted in overtime. USD were up 77-76 with only ten seconds remaining on the clock for overtime. Taveon Holland, who had been money for most of the game so far, took the ball in after Devonta scored to take the lead. Unfortunately, he decided to take a 3-point shot with only 2 seconds remaining. The shot bricked, the buzzer rang, and Drawkland lost the game. After the game, many criticized Holland for not passing in to his teammate Gerald Madison who had a clear advantage in the paint and the team only needing 2 points to win.

Whatever the case, the loss was now in the table and Drawkland were once again going to have to play just to save their spot in second, especially now with Devonta only one game behind. Fortunately for the Corps, they had their cupcake game against Viveksylvania to look forward to in the next matchday. This ended up being the saving grace, as the Corps came back and clobbered the team 87-55, in their best defensive showing of the tournament so far. This was massive for team morale and momentum, and had the added bonus of officially sending Drawkland to the IBC playoffs. While Devonta were only two games behind, Drawkland held the superior head-to-head differential, meaning it was impossible for Drawkland to dip to third place.

Now the game became fighting for a better seeding in the playoffs, and hold serve in case Abanhfleft dropped their last few games. This would never happen, as Abanhfleft easily won their next game and clinched the group title, but at least Drawkland were still remaining on top. Another nearly 30-point win against the United Nations of Europa, and an easy win over Mytanija ensured Drawkland would cruise with momentum into the playoffs. While a two-loss group stage was not what the Corps had in mind when considering its future, it was enough to get us back within reach of another playoff run.

PLAYOFFS
With the Round of 16 blues firmly rooted in the past after the shock title win and semifinal run back-to-back, this first round matchup against Qasden was going to be seen more as a tune-up series rather than a team to really start sweating bullets on. I think we can all be thankful that Filindostan and Abaja elected to contest the playoff matches as series rather than single games, though, once we dropped the first game against Qasden. The Vans came out swinging against the Corps, dropping 92 points on our vastly underprepared defense. Qasden had won their rather weak group with the same record we had, 8-2. Perhaps this played into our team psyche by letting our guard down, but after this game, it would be a bloody fight to stay in the series. The Round of 16 blues are in our past now, and we can't afford to let us slip into the same habit of failure.

We then came back for game 2 with renewed fire in our hearts and our play, and the defensive showing was incredible. Holding Qasden to a record-low (for us in this tournament) 53 points, our offensive play took care of the rest and scored 76 to pull momentum back on our side. The final match of the series would not be a blowout for either team as the last two had, but instead a defensive slugfest not unlike the Devonta match on MD7. This time, though, the Net Corps took care of business down the stretch and held Qasden to 8 points in the fourth quarter, while scoring 15 to take the series and move on to the quarterfinals again.

Once again, Drawkland would underestimate their opponent in Game 1. The Free Republics' basketball team was one the Corps had never faced before. This is another high-profile matchup Drawkland was going into blind, and it showed. While the final score was only 80-74, it could've been much, much worse for us in the end. The offensive and defensive play was highlighted by multitudes of mistakes and miscues. Coach Cody Morgan was quoted after the game saying that we really beat ourselves, and our own poor performance, coupled by the Free Republics' ability to capitalize, led to the demise in Game 1.

The next game in the series against Free Republics ended with a nearly similar score, but it was definitely a different game. The Net Corps was playing their hardest, and the skillful defensive play by both teams caused the score to be comparatively low. The game could've easily gone the other way, too, if not for an absolutely clutch final 30 seconds by the Corps. With 30 seconds left, Drawkland got the ball back with the score 73-76 FFR. Anne Russell, usually a backup guard, had come in to replace the fouled-out Trallen. Russell was set up in the corner of the court with a bit of space from her preoccupied defender in Emanuel Saldana. A wily pass from Accursio found its way into Russell's hands, and she did the rest, draining a 3-pointer to tie the game. However, now the FFR had the game tied, the shot clock off, and all the time they needed to get down the court, and get a winning shot with no time left. The Net Corps had other plans though, managing to poke the ball free from Brandon Owens right as he was about to drive into the basket and score. With the turnover and now under 10 seconds left on the clock, Taveon Holland streaked down the court with every Republican player in pursuit. After taking a jab step to shake off "Queen" Thibodeau, Holland pulled up and drained the 3 with two seconds left. With no timeouts, the FFR team tried to get a shot off but were off the mark as time expired, and Drawkland had tied the series.

The rubber match was expected to be another hard-fought affair, but with now more confidence on their side, the Net Corps refused to allow themselves to lose the game. This would be the blowout we were looking for, as the offense sparked to life like it had in the group stage. Even with this, the players held firm defensively, holding the Free Republics to a series-low 70 points, while scoring 91 on the other side of the ball. Once again, Drawkland came out on top, and buried the rubber match to move on to the semifinals for the third consecutive tournament.

While the stage had been set for a potential Drawkland-Newmanistan semifinal matchup for the third consecutive cycle, this would not be the case. The Rockets had fallen to Ethane in the quarterfinals, and the perennial "pretty-good" squad had managed to make it to the semifinals for the first time in several cycles. This time, though, there would be no underestimating in game 1 to put Drawkland behind in the series. The first game ended up being a beautifully-scored 77-70 match, Drawkland's first Game 1 win of the tournament, while the second match was a similar 75-64 win. The defense once again showed out, and the swept series has landed Drawkland in the finals of the IBC only two cycles since their win in IBC 25.

FINALS vs VANGAZILAND
So let's be honest here. Our first IBC win was definitely admirable. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec had absolutely manhandled every opponent in the playoffs thus far, and was looking to be the cream of the crop. After breaking the Round of 16 glass ceiling that had haunted the Corps for 5 straight cycles, they also looked like a tough opponent. However, it was not only a blowout but an easy win for the Corps to win Drawkland's first basketball title that didn't have the word "collegiate" involved.

I won't go far enough to call the IBC 25 championship a hollow victory, but it certainly wasn't the most hard-fought of victories. Not only that, but Quebec was similar to Drawkland in that they hadn't had much success in the IBC for many years. It was a battle of unproven fighters for the title, and ultimately Drawkland had the extra grit to get the victory. The single-game nature of this also held a different tone to it, as fluke victories are all the more common in such a context. Just think of how differently this tournament would've been had it been single-elim ... Drawkland would've been out Round 1.

This championship battle will be very different. Vangaziland are defending champions, fresh off their first-ever IBC win. They're the world #1 team in the rankings, and have pretty much clobbered every team in their sight this whole tournament. Banija, the #4 team and cream of the crop on the Filindo side of the bracket, were manhandled and swept in the semifinals with little remorse. Vangaziland only lost one game in the group stage, to Valanora in the first half, and had swept all their opponents in the playoffs. Drawkland has admittedly limped through most of our matchups and against more pedestrian opponents. The group stage was no picnic either.

With all this in mind, anybody could easily point out that Vangaziland is in great shape to repeat as champions and take the IBC 27 titles for themselves. Our only saving grace in all this is the fact that this series is a Best of 3. We have a chance, however slim, to be able to win at least one game to be respectable. I hesitate to say it, but we may even be able to fight our hardest and steal away the two games necessary to win the title.

I wouldn't hold your breath, if I were you. No matter the result though, you know what we've gotta say. On Corps!

[Vangaziland]

Tune In: IBC at VSN

Television screens across Vangaziland flashed with the colorful logo of the International Basketball Championships. VSN was broadcasting the game across the Empire. The logo was accompanied by dramatic theme music. His introduction was so iconic, that Vangazi would remember such pre game introductions for the rest of their lives.

It was time. Vangaziland was back in the finals. It wasn’t just postseason basketball. This was the season’s first championship game. Everything was on the line.

The camera showed various scenes as the music played. It mainly focused on the stars from both teams. A close up of Mark Ewingson eyeing down his defender, before launching a jump shot played. The next image showed Drawk Taveon Holland making a similarly motivated expression before the giant comfortably shot over his opponent.

The screen went through each player in the starting lineup for both teams. Art Vesuvian blocked a shot in his clip. The camera quickly zoomed in and out while Steven Eaglesen made a behind the back pass from the lane. Christopher Ironwrought was shown catching a fast break pass and throwing down a one handed slam. Juell Sampsen was seen grabbing a rebound and smacking the ball with authority to keep his defender away.

Soon the music sank into a more quiet tone, playing in the background as the announcers began talking. “Welcome to the IBC at VSN. Tonight’s matchup.. The Drawkland Net Corps face the Vangaziland Royals.” A rather short and thin man with a bowl of black hair spoke. “I’m your host Karl Albertsen.”

His female co-host spoke next. “And I’m basketball expert Natalie Stuve. Tonight’s matchup should be a real barn stoker.”

“That’s right Nat, we’ve got two teams with something to prove. It’s been two seasons since Drawkland won IBC 25”, said Karl.

Natalie didn’t miss a beat, jumping in with, “And the Royals walked away with last season’s title. This battle isn’t just about one season. Vangaziland is sitting at number one in league rankings. The Net Corps rank third.”

The screen switched to show the Vangaziland Royals warming up. Mark Ewingson became the focus of a new angle, detailed season stats hovering below his image.

Natalie continued speaking, “Mark Ewingson has kept Vangaziland on his back by making himself a royal pain for his opponents.”

“That’s right”, said Albertsen. “What a contender. Mark is the passionate captain the Royals needed to take them over the edge. Now Mark has the chance to lead the Royals to back to back titles.”

The screen switched to pan down the bench, near the scorers’ table. Kate Foyelson was shown walking apprehensively. “Coach Kate really played a major role, taking over for the now late coach Tim Tomasson.”

“Coach Tim really meant a lot to these players”, said Marv... Er, Karl. “They have rallied together all year to do this for him.” The camera panned to Steven Eaglesen staring up at the pre-game countdown. He looked so emotional that he wanted to cry. Athletes were usually known for exaggerating the emotions around a game. The truth was that there were many surrounding this match.

The murder of Tim Tomasson left the Vannish basketball program mentally devastated. It was a senseless act which portrayed the Empire negatively.

“Once the clock starts”, Nat chimed in with. “It will be all about basketball. Two teams. The Royals are outsized, but not outgunned. Expect smart play if the Royals are to have any edge.”

“The Net Corps will need to slow down the Vangazi. Keep Ewingson at bay. They can use their proportional size to really put a damper on Vangaziland’s system.”

They prepared to switch the camera to another reporter. “Our correspondent, Hector Gomez, is court-side with former Vangaziland Royal Hectare Yulssen.”

People were glued to their televisions. What surprises would this game hold? Could the Vannish win? Maybe even sweep? Or would they lose game 1? Could they be swept? The clock was ticking.

[Filindostan]

---

Cutoff for Third Place Playoff, Game 1
They'll do what they want, what they please, and they'll do it again 'till they got what they need.

---

Result
Banija 74–72 Ethane
Banija leads series 1-0
@ Harrington-Poindexter Stadium, New Plymouth, Heartland

[Abaja]

---

IBC XXVII Finals Game 1 Cutoff - Filindostani Side
The IBC Final. Where one team leaves victorious and the other leaves Devastated

---

Finals Game 1 Results

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Vangaziland 79 - 64 Drawkland
Vangaziland leads series 1-0
@ Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan

[Filindostan]

---

Cutoff for Third Place Playoff, Game 2
Will one team rage their dream to either win the series or to extend to a third game?

---

Result
Ethane 75–82 Banija
Banija wins series 2-0
@ Eyeugbé Arena, Kingston, Buran

Congrats to Banija for taking third place, and commiserations to Ethane for finishing fourth.

[Drawkland]

COVERAGE of IBC FINALS, GAME 2

Mark: "Okay and welcome back everyone to pregame coverage of the International Basketball Championships Finals. We're just about 30 minutes away from tip-off here in Anetta Coliseum in Filindostan. I'm your pregame host, Mark Heinz, along with the rest of our panel, sports experts Jerry Pathon, Al Britton, and retired Net Corps player and IBC champion Mary Herriford. Before the break we were talking about Drawkland's performance in Game 1 of this series. Mary, I believe you're up?

Mary: "Yes, thanks Mark. As a former player on the Net Corps, I know these players really well. They're my brothers and sisters and I've played with them for the greater part of a decade. So I feel pretty confident in people able to read their mood, their preparedness, and how well they're playing to what the plan was. Very plainly, this last Game 1, they were defeated before the game even started."

Jerry: "Okay, that's a load of BS. You can talk allll about how you 'know these guys' or whatever but they're still professional athletes. Don't push your narrative of 'welllll they uhh weren't ready to play this isn't full strength guys' because it's simply not true. We aren't the better team in this series. There isn't an attitude issue here, this is a skill issue. Vangaziland have the hot hand, we don't. They are the #1 team, still are, and we aren't."

Al: "Well, Jerry, my old high school coach always said that every team on every game has a 50% chance of winning, no matter what."

The group chuckles.

Jerry: "When did he say that? 10 minutes before you got blown out by 40?"

Al: "That could be true, I don't remember."

Jerry: "Anyway, my point stands. As much as it stings to say it, all we can do is try to save face and not lose by double digits this time around. We've seen it time and time again against Vangaziland just in this tournament, not to mention the last. They take the best teams in the multiverse and dismantle them. Banija were looking like enormous threats to take the IBC and they got swept without so much as a close game."

Mary: "And what do you know about playing basketball at the international level, Jerry? I have that experience. Trust me, it becomes a mental game more than anything. Remember how we lost in the Round of 16 four straight cycles, no matter who the opponent was? After the second time, it was basically completely a mental game. We had defeated ourselves before we'd even step foot on the court. Just look what happened when we finally managed to break through the glass ceiling! We went and won the entire damn thing! And now we're perennial contenders. It is more a mental game than anything."

Jerry: "Mary, Mary, Mary. Listen, I know you have faith in your teammates and all, you do probably know them more than anyone else. But this is frankly embarrassing you think they have a snowball's chance in hell on this one. They lost by 13 points last game. 13! In a final! That's almost as much as we beat Quebec in IBC 25, and that was a lopsided blowout of humiliating proportions. It's incredibly obvious that we are being outplayed, and this game won't be any different. I hope the massive group of fans out here made their plane reservations for tomorrow morning so they don't have to spend an extra night here in San Marco when they don't need to."

Mark: "Ohhhh come on. You know everyone's gonna be staying here no matter what. Say all you want about the loss we suffered last game, at least the crowd was into it. They've estimated at least 8,000 fans in the Coliseum are Drawkian, and they're 100% supporting the team even when they're losing."

Jerry: "That's right, maybe those fans will be able to hit a few shots or actually provide cohesive defense, unlike what the actual team is doing."

Mary: "All I'm trying to say is that we've been down a game in two series so far just in this tournament-"

Jerry: "We're lucky they weren't single-elim this tourney."

Mary: "Yeah, yeah, whatever. My point is that we've played clutch on the chopping block 4 times in this tournament already. I'm saying we still have a shot. Maybe not a very good one, but we do have a shot. Don't forget, we lost by nearly 30 points to Qasden in the first round and still managed to come out on top."

Jerry: "This is exactly what I'm saying! Are you listening to yourself? We lost by 29 points to Qasden. No offense to the Vans but they're not a championship caliber squad. They still dropped 92 on us. We're lucky Vangaziland didn't pull off the same feat. If they were a little more accurate with their shots last game, especially on the perimeter, it would look a lot more like that Game 1 Qasden scoreline."

Mary: "Once again, you're making my point for me. Facing elimination against Qasden of all teams? Losing by not only double digits but almost 30 points to a subpar squad, and we still came back and took the series. It doesn't matter what mental roadblocks or morale issues we have, we can still come back and play regardless of circumstance."

Jerry: "It's way easily to beat Qasden in two straight games than it is Vangaziland. Hell, it's easier to sweep a 5-game series against Qasden than it is to beat Vangaziland twice."

Al: "I have to agree there. If this was a Best of 5 series, I could see us being able to pull it out. But I don't think we can survive two straight elimination games against this squad."

Mary: "Need I remind you that this setting is familiar? Not only the playing-from-behind mentality we had, what with Quebec mowing down everyone in their path in IBC 25 and us still treading new ground, but even the literal setting. You guys do remember that this exact stadium is where we played in the IBC 25 finals right? Started in the opposite host nation, Banija or Abaja, played through the playoffs, and make it into San Marco. There's history and pedigree here. We have a shot. That's all I'm trying to say."

Jerry: "Alright, Mary, that's real cool. Tell me how being in this stadium is going to change our play. How is that going to make Cody Morgan draw up a better defensive scheme? How is that going to make our key players, Roser, Holland, Herriford, make their shots? We have been absolutely flaccid on both offense and defense. Talk what trash you will about Newmanistan not making the semifinals from playing Ethane, but I would've appreciated that challenge. At least that could've prepared us for an actually good opponent in the final!"

Mary: "All I'm saying is that we have a chance. What could be biting us one day could be a complete non-issue the next day. As a player, I know how that feels. I know what it's like to play from behind, and how to rebound from a bad game."

Mark: "Alright, that's enough for right now. We'll be back with more pregame coverage here on DNSN, after the break."

[Abaja]

---

IBC XXVII Finals Game 2 Cutoff - Filindostani Side
I smell a cutoff! Who gets the money?

---

Finals Game 2 Results

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Drawkland 63 - 89 Vangaziland
Vangaziland wins series 2-0
@ Anetta Coliseum, San Marco, Kabishawan
Congratulations to Vangaziland, who have won the IBC XXVII Championship.