International Basketball Championship 31 (IC Thread)

by **Nova Anglicana** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:57 pm

Ramsey government introduces full budget

John McAvoy, Political Columnist, Londinium Courier

After weeks of negotiation between the members of the Ramsey government, the committee chairs, and the opposition, the constituent pieces of the Ramsey government's budget have passed all of the relevant committees and it will be brought to the floor for a full vote this week. All of the respective committee chairs, and the powerful head of the Budget committee, Lawrence Foster, have had their say and have produced a budget for this fiscal year.

So what are the top line numbers? Tax receipts, which are still in line with the previous tax system, are projected to be A£183 billion, which gives the government A£3 billion extra to play with. However, in line with promises, the government has elected to cut the budget for this year, producing a budget with a total of A£174 billion. This means that Ramsey's first big promise, to produce a surplus, has been meet, with a surplus of A£9 billion. This is an A£6 billion cut from the last Blackwood budget, which included things like high-speed rail and a carbon tax. Both of those things have been stripped out of this year's budget, with the carbon tax being eliminated by the tax law and the high-speed rail project being farmed out to private companies to complete and operate.

In terms of cuts and increases, Ramsey has also been able to deliver on his second major promise, to increase the defense budget. The Ministry of Defense will receive an additional A£0.6 billion this year, mainly going to recruit more troops and start construction on at least one new major warship, as well as increasing troop pay. This isn't as much as Defense Minister Rear Admiral Hugh Townsend had asked for, but the Libertarian part of the coalition government made it clear that while they didn't really want any spending increases, A£0.6 billion was the largest they would swallow. The Finance Ministry is also receiving an extra A£0.3 billion this year, with it mainly going to efforts to digitize records, increase the ease of the online tax filing system, and "examine waste in the government", as William Dawson puts it. Justice and Interior will also see increases, of A£0.3 billion and A£0.4 billion, respectively, mostly going to grants for additional provincial police and security agents to monitor "anti-Nova Anglican activity". Agriculture is getting a small boost, mostly to farm subsidies, while Culture Minister Bethany Cohen won an additional A£0.1 billion for her ministry, which will go to support national sporting teams.

But by far the largest increase is to the Ministry of Immigration and its minister, Christopher Mathewson. They will see a 10% increase in their budget, or A£1 billion. Although the coalition still remains disunited on how to reform immigration, the weight of the People's Party and National Party forced the Libertarians to accept more money for the ministry. It will go to hiring more agents, a more vigorous effort to find undocumented immigrants (though the Libertarians say they will work to ensure there are no abuses), and increased border security. It says something about the priorities of the coalition that immigration received a larger increase than defense, both about the PP/National group, who wanted to increase both, and the Libertarians, who would have liked to have seen cuts in both.

Spending cuts are mostly centered in four ministries: Education, Foreign Affairs, Infrastructure, and Environment, though Commerce & Labor saw a 20% cut, or A£0.4 billion. The cuts at Commerce & Labor are mostly related to the government's deregulation push, as they will need fewer employees if they are enforcing fewer regulations. But the other four ministries saw cuts of at least A£2 billion, ranging from a 20% cut at the high end (Environment) to 9.5% at the low end (Education). The cuts at Environment are mostly related to less revenue from the carbon tax, meaning staffing cuts, plus fewer regulations and no carbon tax to enforce, though the government did shuffle some money away from green subsidies towards fossil fuel extraction.

As mentioned, the A£2.5 billion in cuts at Infrastructure are mostly related to the privatisation of the high-speed rail project in New Brunswick, but they also include less money for rural broadband and local infrastructure projects. Expect this to be the opening salvo of future cuts at the ministry, as the parties that make up the government have long disliked the heavy public spending in lieu of private development or even public-private partnerships. Foreign Affairs has also long been a target of the parties of the right, and the A£2 billion cut from their budget includes a good chunk of the foreign aid that Nova Anglicana provides, as well as cuts to the Anglican Service Corps, the humanitarian aid group that has been deployed to multiple war-torn areas throughout the multiverse. Although defenders of both of these programs point to their role in maintaining peace and boosting Nova Anglicana's reputation, the right sees them as mostly useless bleeding-heart programs that waste taxpayer money without benefiting citizens. Finally, the Ministry of Education will lose A£2 billion, mostly to staffing cuts and enforcing regulations that the government sees as unnecessary. However, it's a good bet to expect spending cuts at this ministry next year if the government passes an education reform bill.

The PM was enthusiastic about the budget, saying, "We have delivered a surplus while making Nova Anglicana safer from foes both within and without, while not touching a penny of the Health or Social Services budget. This is a budget that cuts wasteful spending while not hurting the most vulnerable in society." While he is right that the cuts don't come to Health or Social Services, and many of the cuts have to do with regulation or staffing levels, it's not the whole picture. Cutting regulation and staffing typically leads to worse outcomes for workers, whose companies have less oversight. Additionally, cuts at Environment could lead to pain for First Nations people, who often bear the brunt of extractive and other environmentally risky industries and project. Finally, cynics will point out that the government more or less couldn't touch Health and Social Services, as most spending in both of those ministries are considered entitlements that require legislative changes in order to change the level of spending. Still, cuts at both of those ministries are a good bet if the government is able to pass its reform bills in the fall session.

As for the opposition, there will be debate and they have delaying tactics, but if they don't have the votes, they don't have the votes. The entirety of the PJP and the Stewardship Party are united in opposing the budget, as they indicated they wouldn't vote for a budget that cut spending from the previous year's budget. As for Liberal Secularist leader Emily Waterford, she has most of her caucus lined up in opposition, mostly to increased immigration enforcement and education spending cuts, but the two members who voted for the tax cut, Katie Logan and Lucas Garrett, have yet to indicate how they'll vote. Sources close to Waterford say that she's confident she'll have a caucus united in opposing the budget. Still, a united opposition is not enough. They would need four "nay" votes on the government's side, and the moderate wing of the PP isn't likely to deliver all of those votes. Opposition Leader Hal Blackwood decried the spending cuts, especially to his prized high-speed rail project, saying that the new budget "continues the process of undermining the role of the government as we know it" and "will expose workers and others to dangerous safety risks, while lining the pockets of private industry."

Blackwood can huff and puff all he wants, but barring a late shift, it looks like Ramsey and his government have this one all sewn up. This would be part two of their ambitious campaign to reshape the Nova Anglican state, and would give them momentum heading into the recess. If the budget proves to be popular with or at least not opposed by the public, that would be a signal for the government to go even harder after the recess in reshaping education, healthcare, welfare, and other parts of the PJP legacy. We'll see what happens, but for now, it looks like the Ramsey government will get their budget.

Ministries receiving cuts

-Education: A£2.0B
-Foreign Affairs: A£2.0B
-Infrastructure: A£2.5B
-Commerce & Labor: A£0.4B
-Environment: A£2.0B

Total cuts: A£8.9B

Ministries receiving increases

-Defense: A£0.6B
-Finance: A£0.3B
-Justice: A£0.3B
-Interior: A£0.4B
-Immigration: A£1.0B
-Agriculture: A£0.2B
-Culture: A£0.1B

-Total increases: A£2.9B

Ministries staying the same

-Health
-Social Services

By the numbers

-%Diff from previous FY: -3.33%
-TotalDiff from previous FY: -A£6.0B
-% of GDP: 37.9%
-%Diff as % of GDP: -2.1%
-Total surplus: A£9B
-% held as surplus: 4.9%

Ministry                Spending          %                              
Defense                 A£5.4B            03.10
Finance                 A£3.0B            01.72
Education               A£19B             10.92
Foreign Affairs         A£16B             09.20
Health                  A£39B             22.41
Social Services         A£42B             24.14       
Infrastructure          A£15.5B           08.91
Justice                 A£6.3B            03.62
Commerce & Labor        A£1.6B            00.92
Interior                A£4.2B            02.41  
Environment             A£8B              04.60  
Immigration             A£11B             06.29     
Agriculture             A£2.0B            01.15 
Culture & Sport         A£1.0B            00.57

by **Kohnhead** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 1:52 pm

Defense impresses in first win of tournament

Swanson Bank Arena hosted the Hellraisers from Crilland in the first home game of the tournament and while we would have preferred a more comfortable win, we were able to pull it out in the end. The Basketball Brains dominanted defensively however our offense in particular the shooting was not up to where we want it to be.

It's possible we underestimated Crilland following their 14 point loss to Vangaziland in the opener, or they just came out hungry but whatever the reason we found ourselves off to a slow start. Our first possession says it all, no movement, too much dribbling and in the end an off balance three destined to be a brick. We don't have the stars who can just create shots out of nothing we need good ball movement and movement in general to do that and we just seemed lazy and tired.

While Crilland limited us offensively, the could do nothing of their own at the offensive end and so haflway through the first quarter the score was tied at 6 a piece. Last game we got good bench prodcution from Joseph King and Patrick Ali and this time it would be a different player who emerged with Taylor Emerson our best three point shot scoring the next seven points on 3-3 shooting. Emerson looked hungry and easily beat Marc Jaques the second team defender who was on her.

It would be a 16-12 lead for us at the break showing how low scoring of a quarter it had been, Brock Percy had some success for them with 5 of their 12 points although he was just 2-9 from the field with Darren Summers providing the good defense on him. While a zone might have been more appropriate against a team like the men's lineup from Quebec, man defense was the right call against Crilland because we felt we could win all of the individual matchups which we did for the most part.

In the second quarter we would open our largest lead of the game with our second unit really dominating against the Crilland second unit led by King and Ali once again as Emerson had cooled off following her hot start. However the 17 point lead we were able to build up with not much time left in the second quarter would start to deteriorate before halftime with Crilland scoring the last five points of the half to go into the break down 39-27.

A change offensively for Crilland following a timeout had allowed them to start creeping back into the game and further adjustments at halftime made the second half a lot closer than anyone from Kohnhead wanted it to be. We had been very aggressive defensively in the first half and Crilland adjusted to this with more pump fakes and exploiting of help defense knowing that it leaves someone open, in particular McCall had a great first half in terms of stocks but her aggressive tendencies from the first half got her into trouble a couple of times defending Marcel Hernandez in the second half.

In addition our shooting went as cold as it had been in the first half with different looks from Crilland really preventing us from utilizing Nicholls under the basket who had a frusterating performance with only 5 points. As the third quarter winded down, the game which had looked like we could pull away had gotten a lot closer and it was just a 4 point game heading into the final quarter with Kohnhead up 50-46.

However a big fourth quarter from McCall who finally did something offensively hitting a couple of threes and looking more awake offensively than she has all tournament along with a continued good defensive effort was enough to give us the 69-61 win and improve our record to 1-1 on the tournament good enough for 4th in the standings as you can see below.

Group D                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Vangaziland                            2    2   0   159  127  +32
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                2    2   0   191  171  +20
3 Chromatika                             2    1   1   196  157  +39
4 Kohnhead                               2    1   1   144  152   −8
5 Crilland                               2    0   2   122  144  −22
6 East Lemyone                           2    0   2   123  184  −61

The Quebec-Chromatika game went to overtime in a thrilling 100-96 Quebec victory and despite neither being in the top spot they are looking like the two teams to beat thus far. Vangaziland have won both of their opening games by double digits however they were against the two unranked teams and the two teams that sit in last of the standings so it's possible they've just been benefactors of an easy schedule. Next up we travel to take on 25th ranked and pot 3 side Chromatika who have done quite well this tournament having dominated East Lemyone in their first game and almost knocking off 3rd in the multiverse Quebec most recently. We went 0-2 against them in IBC 30, can we now get a statement win to prove that Kohnhead can compete for a spot in the next round?

by **Oscioru** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 2:04 pm

Paramiltary group firefight and subsequent at Statue of Unity, near Bresca border check

The firefight took place this afternoon at 16:30 local hour, leaving as many 65 civilians dead, as for paramilitary casulaties, numbers are unknown

In sanctions organised in light of the recent performance of our team against Juvencus and our neighbours' comments towards players of our own team in Bresca yet again, bloodshed really did not seem to be out of the question as 2 paramilitary groups, identified Osci Liberation Front and Juven Frontier Troops, which have been duking it out for a few months, following the disastrous combined delegation sent in the winter Olympics, decided it would be the perfect battlegrounds for their troops, causing massive damage in property as well as loss of civilian life and to a lesser extend a massive amount of casualties.

It is no news that citizens in Bresca have been protesting their right to identify as Osci and not Juven more loudly than anywhere else in Oscioru, no matter the antics of our northern neighbours and their claim to being "Oscioru's parent nation". They were meant to be very calm in order to last very long and with no danger towards human life, unlike the initial riots back in October. Sadly, this was far from being the case as the Juven Frontier Troops opened fire at random directions at 16:30 local time.

This was met with an instant Osci Liberation Front's response to the fire, much to the protesting public's fear and terror, with the random bullets killing or injuring a lot of civilians on the spot, with many being trampled over too. The Osci Liberation Front's troops managed to push up to the Statue of Unity and hold on from there. With exchanges in fire taking place every 5 minutes.

Skipping to 16:56 local hours, there was a massive explosion just below the Statue of Union, with many Osci Liberation paramilitaries injured or even killed. This would signal the Juven Frontier Troops' counter-attack to the spot, which was met with heavy resistance and a lot of deaths. This push was deemed a failure and the OLF would push the JFT troops back to their initial spots.

Half an hour later, another explosion was heard, this time nearer the border check at an UXU bank where OLF troops were stationed, killing a 5 of them as well as injuring 10 and the civilian number around the area is even higher. However, the OLF troops would push the JFT ones back in place.

The confirmed number of civilian deaths is as high as 65, expected to be even higher as 200 are injured, 80 of which are critically injured. Stats from either paramilitary sides varies and there is no confirmation as to the number of casualties they possess.

The United Republic's official stance to the issue was announced by Minister of Defence, Maria Sorrentino on which she categorically condemned the actions of either paramilitary troop, debunking any theories of Osci-backing to the troops while also delivering a fiery statement towards the Holy Empire's government which is recorded as such. "The lack of defensive action from the Juven government's side towards dealing with paramilitary groups' actions especially in a territory shared with another sovereign state is inexcusable and possesses a huge danger towards public safety and security. If actions like that continue, we will have no choice but to take action towards taking care of said paramiltary groups, even if that means entering Juven territory."

Whatever the outcome of this conflict in Bresca may be, the United Republic's needs for security and safety have long been breached, as such we will be waiting for more reports from around the area and hopefully, a war is avoided between the nations.

by **Mytanija** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 2:30 pm

ALPHABET HOOP - THOUGHTS ON MYTANAR BASKETBALL
by Almedina Radovanovic

OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE

Mytanija couldn't have asked for a more difficult start than facing the best team in basketball, Banija, in their group opener. Playing the group's second seed in their next fixture meant things didn't get much easier though and Græntfjall made life difficult for the Mytanar team, forcing turnovers at every opportunity and this was another sobering reminder (as if it was needed) of Mytanija's relative inexperience and lack of quality at international level. Albin Jausovec was hustled and harried regularly and his passing was uncharacteristically poor too as he gave away 5 turnovers by himself. The Græntfjaller team were ruthlessly efficient in forcing errors. They were occasionally less than efficient from the free throw line though and I'm not sure Mirko Lazetic will be asking his team to take guidance from Tom Farmansson on improving that part of their games any time soon. In the end that inefficiency mattered little as Græntfjall were far superior in almost every other department and quickly dulled the flame of what had the potential to be a fiery all-Rushmori encounter.

Zelimir Ateljevic was again the only real bright spark on the Hoops team, his 18 points offered a little bit of resistance but his team mates weren't there to act as reinforcements on the offensive end. Zahir Dedic looked solid when he was brought into the rotation for Jausovec after Lazetic tired of the more experienced point guard's turnovers. Any praise for Dedic should be tempered a little and assessed with the qualifier that his performance perhaps only looked passable because of how poor Jausovec's performance had been. There definitely shouldn't be any hurry to start Dedic ahead of Jausovec on the basis of this game, Darko Belicanec also looked more comfortable than the KK Rauchnya point guard but few would suggest that he should be first choice ahead of him. Græntfjall are a good team, ranked 17th in the multiverse, who made life extremely difficult for Mytanija and deservedly won the game. They will surely be enjoying some grilled kraken back home after a win against a fellow Rushmori nation (across sports Græntfjall enjoy a 2-0 record against Mytanija, they also knocked our under-21 football team out of the most recent Di Bradini Cup!), but perhaps most importantly for the Super Wolves it got their group stage back on track after an opening game defeat against HUElavia.

Next up Mytanija will play fellow unranked team Baker Park - another nation we have plenty of Di Bradini Cup history with - Mirko Lazetic will be hoping that he has the two toughest games out of the way in the first-half of the qualifying group and that his team can now string together some victories against opponents that are of a similar level of quality to the Mytanar team. The CAPBANK Center is a much larger indoor arena than any available in Mytanija and the home team might hope that the additional fans can give Mytanija a more hostile welcome than what they may be used to. It may be unlikely to faze too many of the Mytanar team given the hostile atmospheres across the MKA Liga, but if it can even put them off even slightly it could well have a decisive effect on the outcome of the game given the standard of international basketball we have witnessed so far. Baker Park play a similar style to Mytanija with an emphasis on passing and this could well suit both teams given that they will be familiar with the opposition's style and mostly know how to combat it. If Zelimir Ateljevic can perform to the same level he has in the two defeats thus far - he managed 18 points scoring in both games against the best two teams in the group - then that could potentially swing things Mytanija's way. Let's hope the Hoops can get their first victory of this IBC tonight.

by **Pemecutan** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:17 pm

Tuesday, 9 Februari 2021 (Anggara Umanis Wuku Landep, Pawukon 1781)
Announcement for New Season

Pemecutan Puri - Pemecutan Basketball Association is preparing for the beginning of the new season. For the 1781 season, there are no changes regarding the number of league that sanctioned by the association. There are still 3 league level with National A-League as the top tier. The change comes in the number of participants. As Soracana Islands clubs will joining the league this season so PBA Officials decided to give additional 3 new slots for the new state. The slots are given to the most established basketball clubs in the state. All of the clubs from Soracana Islands will be entering from the lowest level, National C-League. This decision is given to the fact that there are no record of basketball competition ever held in the state. The 3 slots are given to Nilayam, Ruacalu and Gato Uyuri. These addition making the leagues expanded from 48 clubs into 51 clubs with each league is having 17 clubs each. The previous promotion and relegation are also change because of these addition. 4 clubs are being relegated from National A-League instead of the usual 3 clubs. They are Kayumas, Tonja, Jematang, Kutuh. They will be replace by 4 clubs from National B-League, Canggu, Pemogan, Titih, Abiansemal. While 5 clubs are relegated from National B-League. They are Tampakgangsul, Alangkajeng, Mengwi, Kesiman and Gelogor. Only 2 clubs will be promoted from National C-League from the usual 3 clubs. Sebelanga and Sanur are those clubs. And lastly, the 3 new clubs from Soracana Islands will fill the empty slots in National C-League.

Despite these changing, there is also a huge decision that is made by PBA. At the last week of 1780 season, PBA officials deciding to limit the number of club from the same city. There is only 1 official club in each city. This decision is made to spread the sports further more and gives other cities to placed their representative. With this decision, 6 clubs are in danger as they have to move their home based. These clubs are Dadakan (second club of Peguyangan), Pekandelan (Kepaon), Penyaringan (Sanur), Sebelanga (Pedungan), Tegallantang (Padangsambian) and Tegallinggah (Pemedilan). All of these clubs has decided to move their homebased to the nearer city from their previous place. Dadakan is move from Peguyangan to Cengkilung. Pekandelan to Jenah. Penyaringan is move to Intaran, Sebelanga to Wangaya, Tegallantang is move to Kedua. Lastly, Tegallinggah is move to Kerandan. Another change is made by Kutuh. The club decided to change their club name to resemble the city that they are representing which is Benoa (Kutuh is a village in the city). All this change is in immediate effect as of 1781 season. The league is schedule to be started on 24 February 2021.

World Cup 81/82/83/84

Mytanija next up for BP hoopsters
by Rick Gardiner
The Post CBL Correspondent

The national team finds themselves in a precarious position after the first two rounds of the International Basketball Championship, with a pair of losses that highlighted problems at both ends of the court.

Ahead of the visit of Mytanija to the CAPBANK Center, Audrey Snider and the coaching staff will make a couple of changes to the starting lineup to see of there is a combination that can provide more consistent play over 40 minutes. David Ennis will replace Joe Foster in the middle and Faith Carter will take over for Colin Walsh at small forward, in addition to Elissa Bradley replacing Neveah Jackson. This adjustment to a smaller front line and the addition of Bradley's longer shooting range will provide a balance that seems to be missing with a small quick backcourt and the physical frontline.

Keith Rosario, who has averaged 11 ppg off the bench through the first two games, was asked if the decision to combine the men & women's teams was an over-ambitious goal for BP Basketball.
“Not at all. Look, there are nuances in the international game that we (men) have to come to grips with that the ladies already understand. The man on the street sees it as an issue of women's college style versus men's pro style, which I can tell you having been in camp with the team for all this time is nonsense. Audrey (Snider) isn't trying to force players into roles they aren't suited for, she and Neal (Oakley) are on the same page and no one is unhappy with the game plans or the rotation off the bench. We just have to perform better. As a group, we've played five games together, and we had plenty of chances to win the game against Maccian. There's a long way to go in this tourney, and we're going to get it sorted out sooner rather than later.”

Mytanija come in with an identical 0-2 record so far, although they have faced Banija and Graintfjall in their opening fixtures. The are led by Zelimir Ateljevic, who has averaged 18 ppg so far; the 22 year old plays for Košarka Esca, who won the domestic league behind his 31.5 ppg playoff performance.

Lineup--

G Dexter, Bradley
F Wallace, Duffy
C Ennis
bench--G Rosario, Jackson, Poynter; F Walsh, Flowers, Fortner; C Foster

by **Vangaziland** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:59 pm

The Vangaziland Royals are off to a solid start. Their play has not been perfect, featuring rough patches in both of their first two games. Fans of old school Vannish basketball have voiced their concerns as what they deem a subpar effort.

“It’s not like the old days”, said 42 year old truck driver Olaf Jackssen. “Back then the national team was on top of things. They seemed overprepared. These kids today.. They seem like they just want to show up and get points. This isn’t as good of a team as the top ranked Royals in times past. They need to push harder.”

Vannish news interviews of homeland fans showcased a lot of doubt and criticism despite the 2-0 start. Part of this is based on the slow start of the Vangazi in Game 1. The Royals squared off against unranked Crilland.

Vangaziland trailed for most of the early game. They lost the first quarter with a score of 17-25. It was a lackluster effort marred by a poor shooting percentage and early turnovers. Starting SG Hugo Lundholm went 0-3 in the first quarter, failing to find the basket.

Vangaziland took the lead before halftime, but the game would jump back and forth throughout the last two quarters. “We struggled to find our way”, said veteran PG Steven Eaglesen. The two time Olympiad gold medalist is nearing the end of his career. “We’ve only got so many chances to win this thing”, he continued. “We have a lot of work to do in improving ourselves as a squad.”

Eaglesen looked exasperated throughout much of the game. At one point an attempt at an alley oop to Patrik Johnsson sailed awry after the PF stalled and spun away from the basket. The ball bounced off the backboard and was rebounded by the opposing team. It led to a fast break slam dunk for Crilland.

Vangaziland took the final lead about three minutes into the last quarter. From there they built a lead which wasn’t indicative of how close the game had been. Scoring stats were unspectacular.

DJ Orion led the Vangazi with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Eaglesen only had 11 points and 6 assists. He did not look satisfied with the win. Tyrek Sohlmann added to the tally with 12 points, but his 3 blocks were key.

Coach Frank Hurcle spoke on his team’s performance with an air of realism. “This is not the best Royals squad, but they don’t have to be. I tell them to take things game by game, day by day. We need to establish a routine before the playoffs begin.”

The Royals looked stronger in Game 2 against East Lemyone. Mike Hagen found himself playing more minutes after a strong 1st half off the bench. While many of he Royals still seemed flat footed on the court the 6’8 guard-forward found a rhythm. Mike played both positions throughout the game. He finished with 26 points in a breakout performance.

“We’ll take a serious look at starting Mike”, said Coach Hurcle. “I still trust the starters and want to give them every chance to push forward. Starting SF DJ Orion had 15 points and 8 rebounds. He also added four assists in a solid game. Lundholm started and added 13 points, including three clutch three pointers. Neither seemed to have as much of an impact as Hagen.

“I’m just here to help the team”, Hagen told reporters after the match. “We all need to come together as one. Stats and points are not the end all nor be all.

PG Steven Eaglesen spoke in support of the bench player. “Mike is a great guy and a team player”, Eaglesen said. “All he cares about is helping Vangaziland win games. We need his hustle. We need his effort. I think what he does on the court will only become more and more contagious.

Eaglesen and Hagen seemed to develop more and more chemistry as the game went on. Steve is a floor general with a habit for driving to the basket and dishing out passes. He uses a quick first step and a talented handle to get defenders off balance, get by them and draw double teams. Time after time, he found Hagen open behind the line.

Hagen finished with 6 three pointers. Mike also showed he could pull up from distance. He hit one 40 foot three pointer when a defender gave him extra space. Such long shots have not often been a part of Vannish basketball.

“A lot of people think Vannish basketball is too old school”, said backup PG Lizzette Simonsen. “There’s that meme about how we’re just a 90s caricature. Our game is evolving though. A few of our big men can shoot from distance. It’s just not a major part of our playbook yet. This is the year we should really start to evolve.”

Simonsen is only 21 years old. She became a pro in the Vannish Basketball Organization at the age of 19. This is her first international run. She has only played limited minutes, but seemed to do well. She showed speed and quick passing decisions late in the game against East Lemyone.

Her style of play seemed to help frontcourt bigs like Nylund and Sohlmann. She tends to slow down the ball and is patient like former PG Hectare Yulssen.

Vangaziland won Game 2 with a comfortable score of 84-66. The Royals will hope to continue a strong run throughout the group stage.

by **Savigliane** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:13 pm

RINALDI BENCHING EXPOSES CULTURAL FAULTLINES
Jason Blanc, SwansHoops.svg

[REDACTED], NORTHWEST KALACTIN -- Paolo Rinaldi came into the International Basketball Champions a club hero for Savigliano Basketball League (LSB) minnows Pietrargenta, and it was expected that the fiery big man would play an equally large role with the Swans. But after sitting the entire second half of a miserable 80-61 defeat against group second seeds Northwest Kalactin, it's clear that Rinaldi's time anchoring the Swans' lineup has gone.

Rinaldi was reportedly apoplectic with head coach Julia Rousseau's decision to play Alphonse DuBois over him for the entire second half, as he was caught on camera leaving the bench early and smashing chairs in the locker room. While a halftime talk between the center and assistant coach Tristan Rousseau indicated that Rinaldi's benching was tactical, simply an attempt to boost Savigliane's post defense after a first-half assault from the likes of Michael Hughes and Jorge Sutton, Rinaldi's acting out seems to indicate that this could be a longer-term shift.

Rinaldi was believed to be key to Savigliane's "4.5-out" strategies, where they could easily alternate between 5-out and 4-out sets to confuse defenses and maximize spacing. The big man's silky post touch, solid passing, and surprisingly good shooting on the perimeter gave him star potential on the Swans. Yet, through two (well, one and a half) games, we haven't seen much of that. Rinaldi has just thirteen total points - not a terrible total, but much worse when you consider he's done so on fourteen shots, abysmal efficiency for a big man.

And if he's been underwhelming offensively, he's been even worse defensively - an area where Alphonse DuBois should offer marked improvement. Northwest Kalactin's big men combined for thirty-four points in the first half as they repeatedly shredded Rinaldi's attempts at post defense, while the longer, more energetic DuBois limited them to ten in the second half as Savigliane attempted (but ultimately fell short of) coming back.

While the Pietrargenta local press have lambasted the decision, with great public outcry at the presence of zero Italophone starters for the Swans, it's hard to see this as anything but objective. You can't just treat your coach like that, and DuBois will offer a better skillset anyways...

JASON BLANC CAN **** MY ****
Augusto "definitely not Paolo's brother" Rinaldi, SwansHoops.svg

by **Chromatika** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:35 pm

Chromatika in IBC 31
Part 3: Second Stanza - A Bump in the Road

The First:

After hanging tough
Four points determine a loss
For our five Penguins.

The Second:

Lia Xiu was the heart
Three pointer at the buzzer
Thirty points in all.

The Third:

In Kohnhead we'll find
A fine, worthy opponent
Two-one or one-two?

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:57 pm

Non c'è più musica

PART 2 (Somewhere in late 60s-2) - Science/Visions

With understanding
You won't let it cast you down
A mind full of questions
A current to purify
Science and Visions
Be near when I call your name
Or ask me a question

Almost arriving home, Nam-Soo slowly played some old electro tune, trying not to think too much about the noises he's been hearing all day long, that was complicating what he was thinking about the pickup basketball game earlier today. The Capitolien teenager, who remembered next to none of his baby self in the rural town, was just ready to go home, shower, play some video games and maybe go to bed early for once, a promise that he knew he's not going to fulfill in due time. Slowly dancing along the streets, he slowly manoeuvred his mind and body in a set of broken coordinations, and then opened the backdoor to his place.

Yet another day of grindin', still smokin'. Nam-Soo felt the beats moving him in consistent syncopations, as he slowly climbed the staircase and took the old, familiar smell of the warm summer air, tapping the old musical posters and sports calendars draped around the walls. That's the familiar smell of how the Baek/St-Amants had run their lives over the past decade of their lives here, and Nam-Soo embraced it as part of reality rather than the abnormal.

Of course, how cramped their second floor flat did help Nam-Soo to place his humility into a routine, far away from the occasional doses of rarity that had come with his chances as a superstar pitching and point guard prospect. If anything, the bookstore and the home described everything for him. Nam-Soo always felt, partly through how old this house, built in the modernisation of the Capitolien boulevards in 1840s and 1850s, on how important it was to not reveal everything on the spot, and to let people enjoy the gradual discovery. It was more in that his family had two different surnamed children- Loic still called Stephane, Nam-Soo's uncle, baby because he pratically grew up as the elder son- and also how there were simply too many things behind past history and present uncertainties that he was curious about, but have been discouraged from.

That may have been just inside him though, for his father Nam-Soo, drinking with a client of his in a certain Mssr. Lundrigan, as they drank a bit further. Not really wanting to see yet another sight of his father drinking and smoking, especially when he had promised to quit twelve times over past two years, he just carried on, dropped his gym bag, and then slowly moved his way to the showers.

Hs knew the shower was going to be drizzling and dazzling here and there, for the showerhead was new to the house but also second-handed, but decided to roll with it anyway in the August night's heat. Fight heat with the heat, he thought to himself, being familiar and observant to the superstition that showering in cold water could work the opposite way around for a man's heart. Of course, the state of how dark and dreary the washroom meant less on the financial state of the household, but rather than the layer of grim clouds that always kept it balancing between fire and rain. Loic, as the father, usually made correct, sensible financial decisions when in the city, and spent little on anything else other than what the bookstore or his two little mouths needed. The bookstore, while not the most financially sucessful, brought decent money for the St-Amants, allowed Stephane and Loic to always have the finest hockey or baseball gears, and occasional stipend when they were travelling. Beyond that, the children themselves were feeding back into the house through occasional offers they get through gifts and Loic kept them all safe in the family safe.

'Honey, it's been a long time coming,' Nam-Soo sang the song as he swiped his phone twice, before closing it again and started to undress. It was only eight in the evening, and Nam-Soo was already feeling as if he was the sweatiest swine out there in the Barn that was the nation's capitol. Normally the Capitol was sunnier in the day, but the night was more humid, so all the advantages one would have in night's peace and calm did not exist. He quickly moved his clothes to a rack on the other side of the room, and slowly walked himself into the shower booth.

And I can't stop, now...Such a long time running...he shook a couple of times, as he felt the cool water, product of turning the handle too little to the right, dowsing him on his head and back. Did he regret the idea of showering so early in the night? Probably. But the cold water kept his senses ongoing and that's what allowed his senses to maybe overhear what's going outside. Still the adults, both certain Mssr. Lundrigan who's frequented their place for a couple of years now, and his father, were drinking their shots of soju away, as they watched the half-moon slowly tumbling and dancing in their goggled visions.

'Dal ah-dal ah- Bal-geun Dal-ah...' said Mssr. Lundrigan, as Nam-Soo slowly turned around while scratching his armpits out of itch.

'There, there, As-chere my boy. The night's only started now, yet you're singing those old tunes?' Nam-Soo could hear his father laughing. Nam-Soo could already tell, from how uplifted their voices were, that the night's going to be a long one for them, and he knew that later the eager incoming Junior will enjoy some Soju to relax and not worry about some of the flaws he had displayed during the hours of backyard ball all afternoon and evening.

Drinking with the boomers, oh my! Nam-Soo's done this plenty of times already, and he could clearly tell that he was going to one-up on his colleagues with that aspect alone because the amount and the frequency of hard liquor and Soju were really up to the mood. He's drunk with them, and/or other clients or friends father's had through ownership of the place before, and those almost always ended up with all of them taking ages to wake up in the end. Nam-soo of course knew waking up in the morning's not the hardest part of it all, but he still didn't like the sound of what kind of words would be exchanged by the night's end. Still, he just embraced along, washed his hair and then began putting some shampoo and bath into his body.

But the feeling of heavy stomach, however accustomed to hard liquor he may have been, was something that bothered Nam-Soo either way, as he knew he had a gym session tomorrow morning, before shooting hoops once more. With heavy stomach Nam-Soo may just feel slightly out of rotation, but he was also aware of other sideeffects the young student-athlete could face, while having next to no breakfast around six in the morning.

'I'm gonna get an earful, but what the heck.' Nam-Soo said to himself, as he turned on the tap again. He slowly sidestepped along the lengths of the shower, and quickly jumped back to the front of showerhead, and continued to listen to what Loic and Asher were talking about.

by **Valanora** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:59 pm

The thundering bluff of heaven's gate
Crashing and illuminating the obscure
Gripping to tightly on the horizon's edge
The want for tomorrow and a fright of dread
Fighting the demons that stand before
Not realizing the fight is on the inside
Failing to contend with the internal strife
Fright and all to vulnerable to the fight
Persevere and struggle by the by
Push and pull, clash at the dizzying heights
Bite back the darkness and the oncoming night
The fight at an end and bloody demise
Not hero, not villain, just a will to survive.

by **Delaclava** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 8:02 pm

We're really starting to fly through this tournament. Some teams have started to announce themselves with big wins, while others are quickly falling behind. So there's no more time to waste. If you've got a mission, burning amibition... get your ass in gear.

Day 3 cutoff!

Group A
Saint-Domingues 83–74 Hebitaka
Equestrian States of Poland 63–87 Delaclava
Pemecutan 64–69 Valanora

Group A                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Delaclava                              3    3   0   270  200  +70
2 Valanora                               3    3   0   212  173  +39
3 Saint-Domingues                        3    1   2   225  254  −29
4 Hebitaka                               3    1   2   211  229  −18
5 Pemecutan                              3    1   2   220  223   −3
6 Equestrian States of Poland            3    0   3   184  243  −59

Group B
Kriegiersien 71–59 Equestria
Cassadaigua 84–74 Silvedania
Crystal Empire 90–75 United Vietussia

Group B                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Kriegiersien                           3    3   0   225  189  +36
2 Equestria                              3    2   1   216  188  +28
3 Crystal Empire                         3    2   1   240  232   +8
4 Cassadaigua                            3    2   1   239  240   −1
5 United Vietussia                       3    0   3   215  246  −31
6 Silvedania                             3    0   3   197  237  −40

Group C
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 87–67 Squidroidia
Smosh games 52–83 Nova Anglicana
TJUN-ia 77–87 Srednjaci

Group C                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom              3    3   0   250  207  +43
2 Nova Anglicana                         3    2   1   254  196  +58
3 Srednjaci                              3    2   1   228  221   +7
4 Smosh games                            3    1   2   183  231  −48
5 TJUN-ia                                3    1   2   226  227   −1
6 Squidroidia                            3    0   3   201  260  −59

Group D
Chromatika 88–57 Kohnhead
Vangaziland 44–66 Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Crilland 66–68 East Lemyone

Group D                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Royal Kingdom of Quebec                3    3   0   257  215  +42
2 Chromatika                             3    2   1   284  214  +70
3 Vangaziland                            3    2   1   203  193  +10
4 Kohnhead                               3    1   2   201  240  −39
5 East Lemyone                           3    1   2   191  250  −59
6 Crilland                               3    0   3   188  212  −24

Group E
Juvencus 76–74 Southwest Eastnorth
Drawkland 94–62 Omerica
United Volcano Isles 78–91 Oscioru

Group E                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Drawkland                              3    3   0   261  191  +70
2 Juvencus                               3    3   0   248  222  +26
3 Omerica                                3    1   2   216  235  −19
4 Oscioru                                3    1   2   227  235   −8
5 Southwest Eastnorth                    3    1   2   219  231  −12
6 United Volcano Isles                   3    0   3   220  277  −57

Group F
Filindostan 59–94 Ethane
Sarzonia 70–67 Valladares
Nateros Sill 84–87 Hannasea

Group F                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Sarzonia                               3    3   0   245  185  +60
2 Valladares                             3    2   1   234  212  +22
3 Ethane                                 3    1   2   215  209   +6
4 Nateros Sill                           3    1   2   216  219   −3
5 Hannasea                               3    1   2   223  257  −34
6 Filindostan                            3    1   2   210  261  −51

Group G
Mapletish 64–80 Rwekazaland
Trolleborg 67–74 Xanneria
Khytonya 69–76 Newmanistan

Group G                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Newmanistan                            3    3   0   257  201  +56
2 Xanneria                               3    3   0   223  198  +25
3 Rwekazaland                            3    2   1   222  205  +17
4 Khytonya                               3    1   2   207  231  −24
5 Mapletish                              3    0   3   207  229  −22
6 Trolleborg                             3    0   3   200  252  −52

Group H
Græntfjall 75–90 Banija
Baker Park 68–74 Mytanija
Maccian 56–79 HUElavia

Group H                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Banija                                 3    3   0   266  194  +72
2 HUElavia                               3    3   0   236  183  +53
3 Græntfjall                             3    1   2   228  229   −1
4 Maccian                                3    1   2   212  252  −40
5 Mytanija                               3    1   2   194  249  −55
6 Baker Park                             3    0   3   220  249  −29

Group I
Qasden 86–64 United States of the Adirondacks
Marigred 69–95 Hispinas
Acastanha 77–77 Lisander (81–88 OT)

Group I                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Qasden                                 3    3   0   265  214  +51
2 Lisander                               3    2   1   250  233  +17
3 Hispinas                               3    2   1   258  240  +18
4 Acastanha                              3    2   1   233  224   +9
5 United States of the Adirondacks       3    0   3   192  234  −42
6 Marigred                               3    0   3   221  274  −53

Group J
Savigliane 56–84 Abanhfleft
Wizcity 62–61 Northwest Kalactin
Sannyamathland 83–86 Indusse

Group J                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Abanhfleft                             3    3   0   256  178  +78
2 Indusse                                3    3   0   265  223  +42
3 Sannyamathland                         3    1   2   214  245  −31
4 Wizcity                                3    1   2   196  231  −35
5 Northwest Kalactin                     3    1   2   208  204   +4
6 Savigliane                             3    0   3   191  249  −58

by **Delaclava** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:14 am

DSGN.com Basketball

Levins explains absence from IBC post-game pressers
St. James, Phoenixes coach putting personal and team responsibility on the players

The Delaclava national basketball team is 3-0 and putting together one of the more dominant Qualifying Round runs thus far. For the third straight game, an 87-63 road win over Equestrian States of Poland, all twelve players on the roster saw action and have been at least moderately effective. For even the most judgmental of pundits, there hasn't been a lot to fault.

So with little concerns arising about this Phoenixes squad thus far, some media outlets have turned to a matter of curiosity: Why has Jim Levins refused to participate in post-game conferences for the duration of the tournament thus far?

It's not typically hard to get a few words out of the longtime St. James coach, who rarely hesitates to speak his mind - whether it is to lay into his own team after a lackluster effort, criticise officials for a controversial call, berate opponents for poor sportsmanship. Or if anything, he is more likely to go to bat for his players, praising their hard work and dedication when they come under fire, reminding reporters that they are just teenagers and young adults playing a game. In his tenure as national team coach, he has often put his team's shortcoming into perspective, lauding the Phoenixes' progress and development and imploring the media for patience. One would think, with his team now on an impressive run of form, that he might have just a little boasting, a warning to the opposition, or even an "I told you so" to the nay-sayers?

But Levins is taking a different tack this year - as he explained on the Pat Daniels Show Wednesday morning, video-conferencing in from ESP following Delaclava's victory.

"I'm letting the players handle the post-game comments this tournament," Levins told Daniels. "This is a new season for us where we're trying to set a new standard... The players are getting to take part in the message we send.

"It's one thing for them and for you all to hear me talk about it, but when it's on them to really buy into our culture, and talk about this team and what we're about, I think it makes it that much more powerful."

There were initial musings that Levins was staying quiet so as not to face questions about the health status of Đorđe Zubić, who had also missed media opportunities through the first two games of the Delaclav campaign and saw limited playing time. However, Zubić ruled out that theory and also put the fans at ease, getting in a work-"horse" night of 31 minutes, and totaling 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists - the kind of performance reminiscent of his MVP and star reputation. Zubić appeared post-game and clarified that a nagging calf injury from AOBC had been "slow to heal", but he felt "all ready to go". He attributed his previous absences to prioritising the necessary stretches, massaging, and treatment for the ailment.

Levins also pointed to Delaclava's hosting of the tournament as a factor in his decision. "Now that the people know the IBC is coming here, more eyes are on us. We're hoping they'll watch us play all the way through to the championship, and right now it's looking like we can at least get the group stage in... so I want them to get to know the players, and relate to them. These are really great young men, hard-working, excellent role models. I think all of our fans, especially the kids, are going to be really excited to see this team when we bring the FInals home.

"We're all in this tournament together."

Levins did humorously sign off Daniels' show by reiterating his media plans: "I hope you got all your questions in, because this is the most you're going to hear from me for a while.

"I'll let the players speak for the team, and they're going to let their play do the talking."

by **Indusse** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:01 am

LoopHole.net
Three on Three

Group J
Savigliane 56–84 Abanhfleft
Wizcity 62–61 Northwest Kalactin
Sannyamathland 83–86 Indusse

Group J                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Abanhfleft                             3    3   0   256  178  +78
2 Indusse                                3    3   0   265  223  +42
3 Sannyamathland                         3    1   2   214  245  −31
4 Wizcity                                3    1   2   196  231  −35
5 Northwest Kalactin                     3    1   2   208  204   +4
6 Savigliane                             3    0   3   191  249  −58

Three matches are over and it is the time to win again and again, Indusse wins its third matchday in the international basketball championship against Sannymanthland. The Margin has been the lowest till now, where indusse won for a small margin of three points. The Player of the Match award was given to key player of indusse; Cheranjeevi S. The Maoists Warfronts just got wiped off from the Indussean Borders after the Surgical Strike called Mission Bapparstan took place. Bapparstan is the border province of North Indusse. Over twenty nine Maoists were caught alive, forty one killed across the nation and all the camps were burned to ash. Weapons which value upto nine crore Indussean rupees were taken from the camp and about sixty six Kilogrammes of Gunpowder were captured from the Maoists. Accounts books were found which said that they received ten Kilogrammes of Gunpowder every two months. The nearby Tribal villages were the source of food as the Maoists raided them and took the resources out. The Maoists were wiped out for the time being and is said that they have entered the Nagpore Forests of Madhyarashtra. Madhyarashtran government has planned to shift the emergency situation from Ambapuram to the forest areas. The Indussean special forces have planned to send troops to the Madhyarashtra Forests to help out the Madhyarashtra Forces. In the surgical strike, over twelve Indusseans were killed and all the others returned to the bases. Sri. Gurpal Singh Khan, Lieutenant General of Indussean Armed Forces said that the mission has been a great success and the patrolling will continue till a notice or circular has been declared by the Government of Indusse.

by **Graintfjall** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:53 am

Posted on the In Brief section of the GTV Sports website.

If a Banijan Buzzsaw cuts down a tree and no one’s around to hear does it make a sound?

by **Vangaziland** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 6:58 am

Vangaziland suffered the most embarrassing defeat potentially in International Basketball Championship history with a 66-44 loss to the Kingdom of Quebec. The Vangazi started the game slow and never caught any rhythm. The team looked lost, dejected and seemed to give up. Things started when Steven Eaglesen suffered a likely career ending injury.

The starting point guard attempted to cross over his defender. As Steve changed directions and started to sprint, his leg buckled. He shouted once, fell to the floor and clutched the area above his heel.

“I felt a violent pop. It almost sounded like a plastic water bottle being crunched, but it was probably a sound only I could hear and feel.”

Eaglesen was flown to Vangaziland and sent straight to a top surgeon for immediate operation. Reports said the jet flew at top speed once over the ocean, far from the restricted speed many aircraft fly commercially.

“I think it freaked us all out”, said DJ Orion. “Nobody expected something like that. He’s our captain. Well he was.” Orion led Vannish scoring with a dull 11 point performance. He only added 6 rebounds and managed 3 assists.

“I have to do more”, Orion said following the match. Coach Hurcle promoted Orion to team Captain soon after Eaglesen’s disappearance. “I don’t know. I think it just made me think about how close to the end my own career is.”

Vangaziland’s reserve point guards were equally dry. Lizette Simonsen and Torsten Westergren split time in the position. They both only combined for 7 assists. Lizzette was cold from the field, going 0-8 throughout the night. Time after time she seemed to force bad shots. Coach Hurcle was frustrated.

“I wanted to sit her, but she’s our only other true point guard”, said the coach. “Modern players have a habit of forcing threes when they need to create or take a few steps inward before shooting.”

Westergren seemed stagnant and had trouble running the offense. Quebec played tight defense, frustrating the young Vannish guards. “This is the first IBC season for a lot of us”, said Simonsen. “We’ve never faced a top three international team like this. We can keep working on things throughout the season and build chemistry with each other.”

Westergren spoke on being put into more point guard minutes. “I came into this season knowing I would play that spot and help run the offense. Quebec has a lot of players and a lot of coaches. Who knows what’s going on with them? I think they’re playing with two teams or something.” He shrugged while speaking to reporters courtside. “So they had lots of options. They have lots of coaches and support staff. They’re just more polished and prepared.” Torsten finished with 5 points, never really getting anything going offensively. His highest stat total was turnovers, where he tallied 7.

“The number of turnovers tonight is unsustainable”, said assistant coach Janet Andersdottir. “Torsten will have to knuckle down. Liz has to step into the starting role and really become the point guard this team needs. She has to become a leader.”

Patrik Johnsson also had a weak gameday. The typical rebound hound only pulled down 6 boards tonight. He added 6 points on 2 for 12 shooting and 2 of 4 from the free throw line. He looked absolutely abysmal with stiff movement and unmotivated play.

“No comment”, he said after the game while walking past the Vannish reporters.

“I think Pat should talk to reporters”, said newly christened captain DJ Orion. “You have to own your losses just like you do your victories. It’s just a game... A game that fans follow religiously and want answers to and analysis of. But on our end, it’s just a game.”

Mike Hagen came off a strong 26 point performance in game 2, but only scored 8 points against Quebec. “Defense was much tougher. More intense, better coverage. It’s something I can learn from”, said Hagen. “I think we can do better against them in the second leg of things.”

The loss makes things tougher in Vangaziland’s hunt for the playoffs. Seeding is important with the added ‘Final Group Stage’ between normal groups and the postseason. The Royals feel they can play well in that intermediate stage. At this point finishing in the top two is far from guaranteed. The Royals can easily find themselves on the outside looking in as other teams advance.

“We don’t quit”, said Steven Eaglesen from the phone on the charter plane. “The team will come back. They’ll find their groove.”

by **Mapletish** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:18 am

The Sour Kind
"I only know one thing, that is I know nothing"

Commentaries| Timothy Jozua

Dragons optimistic with 3 misses

Box Score

	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Mapletish	21	17	12	14	64
Rwekazaland	20	20	20	20	80

The Dragons thought that things would get better in their third match, following 2 close defeats to earlier opponents, Newmanistan and Xanneria, but little did the Dragons know that, the worst had yet to surface until the game against Rwekazaland. Rwekazaland was ruthless in play and reminded the Dragons that, there are all but out of place, playing in a large and grand venue like the Rosten Centre. The non-professional team had done reasonably well so far and head coach Kerry Poole was pleased with the performance and desire of his team. The Dragons were ruthless in defence after losing the tip off to Rwekazaland. Forcing turnovers at any given chance, the Dragons managed to level the scores and be ahead at the end of the 1st period. Gregory Rice made sure he was the calling the shots from the paint as he dropped 3 layups right in the paint before attempting a neat 3-pointer to seal a 9 points period. Manuel Ray rallied up with 3 2-pointers of his own as he beefed up his mid range jump shots after failing to convert 3-pointer attempts from his usual left corner of the arc. Nichols would rally the team with 2 more 3-pointers to bring the score 21-20.

The second line took over from the Starting V in the second period. This opened up the opportunity for Bert Waters to bring his game while fellow score getter Power Forward Derek Ross ponder about his chances of getting quality shots towards the basket. The pair were able to rack up 8 2-pointers together with Waters and Ross sharing 4 of the 2-pointers each while Jennings converted 1 of the 2 free throws due to a charging foul by the Rwekazaland side. The youthful Dragons side however were unable to guard against the Rwekazaland onslaught as they were way faster than than the home side. Capable on the ball and physical in their gameplay, they were able to force through the stubborn defence put up by the Dragons, who opted to be more rigid and got suck in, failing to pull their guards effectively against the visitors.

The game pulled away in the 2nd half, with the Starting V only managing to put in 12 points against the visitors' 20. Managing only 2 3-pointers and 3 2-pointers. Rice managed 6 points, bringing his tally to 15 points so far. Fellow points getter, Manuel Ray made sure he put himself on the scoreboard with more 3-pointers as he put two from the three point line, putting his tally to 12 points in the game. The Dragons did that much better by converting another 2-pointer shot in the 4th period with another 2 3-pointers and 4 2-pointers. The second line led by Waters failed to bring the Dragons any closer to their opponents as they fell further behind. Waters made 2 layups from the paint, bringing his tally to 12 points. Whereas Gregory managed another a dunk and a mid-range shot, bringing his overall tally in the game to 4 points. Derek Ross made 2 of his 4 3-pointers in the period bringing his tally to 14 points.

The Dragons face Trolleborg next. Ranked 17th in the multiverse, they have underperformed so far, racking in 3 straight losses against their opponents, namely Xanneria, Newmanistan and Khytonya. Although the Trolleborg are currently facing an unfortunate run of form, the Dragons look to put in a credible challenge towards their next opponent. Head coach Poole was quoted as saying, "Despite being ahead of our opponents by points difference, it doesn't mean that we are that much better anyway. We learn from our defeats earlier and we are ready to take on Trolleborg, with whom without a doubt will teach us a lot about the game of basketball." With that, the Dragons continue to their chase for their 1st win of the IBC qualifiers.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:30 am

Budget passes, but Blackwood decision overshadows it

John McAvoy, Political Columnist, Londinium Courier

After the passage of the budget each year, the Nova Anglican Parliament adjourns for several weeks for its summer recess. This coincides with the late-summer "silly season", the time when there is nothing of substance to report, so newspapers publish whatever they can get their hands on. This usually means it's either a dull time or a point when newspapers embarrass themselves by running frivolous stories and covering anything that looks like a trend. Sometimes, we get both at once in the form of opinion columnists bloviating about how we need to raise media standards and "abolish the silly season." But this silly season, the media will have plenty to sink their teeth into: former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition Hal Blackwood has announced his intention to step down from his position and leave politics altogether.

The budget, which totaled A£174 billion with a surplus of A£9 billion, passed two days ago with a majority of 52 votes. In the end, the opposition hung together, with all 46 opposition Deputies voting against the budget. They were joined by moderates Kenneth Pearson and Martha Jefferson from the People's Party in opposition. Pearson and Jefferson cited the negative impact of budget cuts in their opposition, saying that they were concerned about local businesses losing out on high-speed rail contracts and infrastructure grants and that they worried cutting A£6 billion out of the economy would have negative repercussions. They were perfectly all right with holding the line on spending or even slight reductions, but drew the line when budget cuts crossed the A£2 billion threshold. One might also say they were opposed to blowback in their marginal constituencies. Still, Ramsey got the bill over the finish line and Nova Anglicana is saved for another year, er, has a budget for another year.

But the big news that came out yesterday was Blackwood's decision to step down. Blackwood stated, "It's my last term, and it's clear that my leadership of the opposition has not produced an effective resistance to the government's chosen policies. Therefore, I am stepping aside to allow my party to choose a new leader who will forge a new direction for the party and block the government's radical agenda." It's not quite true that Blackwood "has not produced an effective resistance to the government's chosen policies", as there hasn't really ever been a Leader of the Opposition who has succeeded in defeating government bills consistently. Heck, David Chadwick held the post for multiple parliamentary terms without ever winning an election or really stopping the PJP from doing anything under Allen Mumford. Parliamentary discipline, even in a country with plenty of media and a strong political tradition, is an incredibly strong force.

If you're a cynic, Blackwood is resigning to avoid being the first PJP leader to lose an election and the guy who lost both his and Mumford's legacy. If you're really a cynic, then you think Blackwood is resigning because he's uncomfortable with the hard-line and, at times, anti-business, rhetoric he has to employ in opposition. You figure he's getting out of there before he burns all his corporate bridges and loses his chance at a cushy seat on some board somewhere. But is it really so hard to believe that he's tired of politics after nearly two decades and hates being out of power? That's the luxury of being a veteran politician: you can step away when circumstances change and no one will question it.

Blackwood has said he will stay on as PJP and Opposition Leader while the leadership contest is ongoing, but this is mostly a formality, since Parliament will not be in session. The summer recess is eight weeks, and the PJP have set the election date for six weeks, giving the new leader two weeks to plan their strategy before Parliament returns. The PJP employs an instant-runoff or alternative vote system of electing its leader through the party membership. Any individual who is not registered with another party will have three weeks to register and pay the membership fee in order to be eligible to vote. Then, the election will take place using a postal vote system. Unlike parties in other countries, the only role for the parliamentary party is the threshold of five MPs (Deputies or Senators) who need to sign a form approving of a candidate in order to get them on the ballot. The current PJP parliamentary complement is 28 Deputies and 8 Senators, so candidates will need approximately 14% of the parliamentary party to support them to get on the ballot. There is no rule preventing MPs from supporting more than one candidate to get on the ballot, so we could have many candidates. Blackwood has already said that he will make no endorsement, but will sign a form for any candidate to get on the ballot. Perhaps just as important as the support of MPs is the pilgrimage prospective candidates will make to Portus Abonae to seek the endorsement or advice of the nation's first Prime Minister, Allen Mumford. Mumford is a giant in Nova Anglican politics, but he has made no comment so far except to congratulate his friend and right-hand man Blackwood on an excellent parliamentary career.

Who's going to run? That's unclear at this point, as no candidate has officially announced yet, but expect that to change in the next couple of days. After registration closes in three weeks, there will be a one-week period to prepare for the election and begin sending out ballots, with the first date for eligible ballots to be returned being two weeks before the election. This doesn't give candidates much time to announce, so we should see a flurry of announcements soon. As far as candidates who ran last time, Sandra Meyer, former Infrastructure Minister and Deputy PM, is also in her last parliamentary term, so she won't be running. Former Immigration Minister Talia Sherwood, who ran last time to bring attention to immigration and the NAAZE, is considered unlikely to run; she'll be a key endorsement get if she wants to be. Party rebel and women's rights crusader Samantha Speer, Deputy for Noviomagus West, should be running again, even if her campaign is likely to go anywhere. Finally, former Justice Minister Tim McKenzie, who was Premier of New Brunswick last time he ran, is still something of a golden boy and definitely part of the "next generation" of PJP leadership. It would be a serious surprise if he didn't run. As far as other candidates, former Finance Minister Erik Parsons would be a solid, if unexciting, candidate should he choose to run, while former Minister of Foreign Affairs Josephine Clark and former Health Minister Alexandra Ward are thought to be good candidates if the PJP wants to choose its first female leader.

There are still other candidates who could run, but whoever does, it will be an interesting race. The PJP is in opposition for the first time in its history; how will they move forward? Who they choose to lead them will say a lot about the mood of the party and what it believes its path back to power is.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:06 am

After getting back on track with an 11-point win in Squidroidia, TJUN-ia prepared to host a match-up at the Unity Centre in Riverside for the first time in nearly 4 years as unranked Srednjaci came to town. The fans were certainly up for this homecoming and Bao Zhou certainly wanted to give this city a grand show to mark the occasion.

Unfortunately, this wasn't as billed by the coach. Srednjaci came into this contest with the same record as us, 1-1, and came to Riverside looking to prove that weren't just here to make up the numbers in Group C. They certainly pushed us in this contest, with Davor Paradinović (the Flying King of Basketball in his homeland) certainly a pest here on TJUN-ian soil. Mindaugas Karnišovas tried his best to catch up to the pace but in the end, nothing could be done. The visitors won 87-77, a 10 point defeat at home, and the Jags now find themselves at 1-2 in their 3rd IBC.

What the hell is going on?! It can't be the players because we know what they can do and it certainly can't be Zhou as he did so well last time out. Is are tactics to easy to figure out? Are we just really unlucky? Who knows at this point but whatever it is, we have to sort it out ASAP if we are to still be in contention for the next round of the competition. Next up is an away trip to Londinium to play 2-1 Nova Anglicana on the road - a game that may decide our fate already. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group C)
MD1: @Smosh games (UR) L 73-75 (4th)
MD2: @Squidroidia (35) - Mako Arena, Inkopolis W 76-65 (5th)
MD3: vs Srednjaci (UR) - Unity Centre, Riverside L 77-87 (5th)
MD4: @Nova Anglicana (21) - National Arena, Londinium
MD5: vs Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom (41) - Unity Centre, Riverside
----------------------------Break----------------------------
MD6: vs Smosh games (UR) - Unity Centre, Riverside
MD7: vs Squidroidia (35) - Unity Centre, Riverside
MD8: @Srednjaci (UR)
MD9: vs Nova Anglicana (21) - Unity Centre, Riverside
MD10: @Zeta Reka and Hugeltaldom (41)

by **HUElavia** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 9:51 am

HUElavia starts off IBC with Fantastic Start!

Græntfjall 66–77 HUElavia
(Altendalur Basketball Arena, Altendalur)

HUElavia 80–61 Baker Park
(Palacio de los Reyes, Curumba)

Maccian 56–79 HUElavia

HUElavia once again was playing in the International Basketball Championship looking to help themselves improve the image of Basketball in HUElavia and develop the team some more. While Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos were not favorites for their group, it didn't mean that they were not going to try to give it their best in their matches for Group H. And boy, did they give it their best, especially to the shock of basketball fans in HUElavia and all around the Multiverse.

The opening game saw HUElavia upset Græntfjall in their arena in Altendalur, where Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos just had the upper hand on the Nordics from start to finish. 7 Players on the roster got at least 3 points scored for each of them, and the leading scorers were Fernandes and Oluwole, both scoring 15 points each. The strong performance from the team all around helped the team maintain a double-digit lead throughout the game, and at the end, the first game was taken by HUElavia, 66-77.

The Home Opener against Baker Park also saw the very best of HUElavia on full display for the Multiverse to see. Oluwole and Dubuc were the highest scorers in the game for HUElavia, each having 19 points to their name. One notable moment was Dubuc stealing the ball from Dexter and running to pass the ball to Oluwole, who did a windmill move and dunk to make the arena stand up and give applause for the style points. Bradley and Rosario led the scoring for Baker Park with 17 points each, but their efforts were not enough as HUElavia kept the double-digit lead and won 80-61, with a standing ovation from the faithful HUElavians.

In the 3rd game against Maccian, the closest opponent for Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos in rankings, the HUElavians just shut down their opponents with ease. Medeiros and Oby led the scoring with 18 points each to their name, and all the players managed to get at least 5 points to their name throughout the game. Blocks by Alcaide and Bondoc allowed HUElavia to go on the counter attack and get points with ease. At the end, it was another blowout victory for the team, and they took their 3rd straight victory, 56-79.

The next two matches will be at home against Banija and away at Mytanija. Banija currently leads Group H with a record of 3-0, just like HUElavia, but leads on goal difference and points scored. In HUElavia's defense though, their defense has been stellar, and the team has conceded the least amount of points, 183, in comparison to everyone in Group H, and currently have the 3rd-best defense in the entire tournament so far, only behind the likes of Valanora (173), and Abanhfleft (178). While Banija are overwhelming favorites to win the game in Curumba, Los Amarillos/Os Amarelos hope to give them a scare and keep it close. Regardless, getting a victory in one of these next two matches would be monumental heading into the break before the second half of the Qualification Group Stage continues.

FORCA HUELAVIA! VAMOS HUELAVIA! GO HUELAVIA!

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:11 am

Back where I belong,
By Kaitlin Benson- SG

I am glad to finally be back on the biggest stage of international basketball. Because the idiots did not sign us up for the last one, I have not been here since the 29th edition. We made the playoffs in that, exceeding the expectations that some had that did not realize the talent that I have, and the rest of my teammates have. That should have been known, since it was not that long after I was able to hoist the championship trophy with my New Lakeland University teammates following NSCAA 9, so the world should have been paying attention. But as we know, the world does not pay as much attention to the NSCAA tournament. Therefore, I was able to catch my opponents off guard who did not realize my abilities, and along with my teammates, who are the best in the nation as well.

Evidently, the former people that were in charge of the Cassadagan Association of Basketball put an inexperienced employee to be in charge of formally declaring our signup to the organizers. That idiot made a typo with the address, so the organizers never got the signup information, and the idiot who made the typo deleted the undeliverable message, so they never realized that we did not formally signup. Even with that, you would have thought that the CAB would have followed up at some point to the International Basketball Organization, but they never did. They claim they submitted a host vote to the IBO for IBC 30 and everything, and the IBO never got back to them to tell them that they never signed up. That makes some people want to put some blame on the IBO, but anyone doing that is just looking to make an excuse. The blame solely falls on CAB.

The organization did fire many people associated with the mistake, and that was the obvious decision. However, they seemed to want to end things at that, and not realize that their negligence affected more people. They had some sponsorship agreements that they had to cancel, and they resolved them, but they seemed to think that the players did not matter. So, for the last year and a half, we have been in a different court, one in which does not have baskets, but we were victorious there, as well. The settlement agreement was a compromise, and I think that some of us were probably underestimating our losses. Look at me for example, as the best shooter in Cassadaigua. I had some money that I knew was coming to me, but we would have likely built on our run from IBC 29, and that could have led to new opportunities. For me, it would have been more chances to show the world how talented of a player that I am.

Now we are in Delaclava, and have played three games, winning two. We shouldn’t really have dropped our first game, and I think we will have a better result against Crystal Ponies when we play them again. After that loss, we played a couple nobodies in the group and beat them. Don’t yell at me for calling them nobodies as their own nation will not even dignify them by releasing the names of their players to the general public. We were given some names of what some sources told us, but we just referred to them by their number, or their ugly arm tattoos. We have tougher tests coming up, so I am sure Kriegiersien and Equestria are doing their best to try and figure out how to neutralize me. I can’t wait!

by **Sarzonia** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:10 am

The 10th match of the current International Basketball Championships cycle for Sarzonia's national basketball team provided a rare opportunity to test their ability to handle adversity.

The Stars lost a group stage match during the Atlantian Oceania Basketball Championships, then lost a hard-fought final against Banija which saw the defending IBC winners break a sweat for the first time all tournament. In between, they needed multiple overtimes to defeat Qasden in the quarterfinals.

Now, the Stars were facing 12th ranked Valladares in front of a sold out crowd of 21,710 at The Palestra in Woodstock. The team spent the better part of pregame talking about overcoming distractions and focusing on the job at hand. They didn't get off to a good start, but a match-ending 12-0 run gave Sarzonia a thrilling 70-67 victory.

Point guard Ben Thomas had been giving shooting guard Mike West breathers by playing the two in an effort to build Sarzonian depth, but West had to spell Thomas at the point for much of the game after he got hit with two technical fouls and was tossed out with 3:08 remaining in the second quarter. West scored a team-high 16 points and notched five assists.

"I'm going to have to look a little more closely at the tape and talk to Ben," manager Thomas Manningham said after the match. "I didn't get a real good look at what happened." Thomas appeared to get into a verbal confrontation with Valladar point guard Lucas Souza, who was only issued one technical foul.

"That motherfucker said some wack ass shit," Thomas Chirped at halftime. The Chirp was deleted a few minutes later. After the match, Thomas said "we're good now," when asked by reporters who saw the now-deleted Chirp.

"It was heat of the moment stuff," West said. "Souza didn't mean anything more than trying to get under Ben's skin." Manningham said he would address the team's use of social media in the wake of Thomas's Chirp.

As for the match itself, guard Jayne Cruz drew the match level with 58.8 seconds remaining with a 3-pointer at the top of the key over Souza. She then gave him a knowing glance before she knocked a pass away from him and into West's hands. Forward Trent Klatt converted an old fashioned three-point play with 19 seconds left to provide the final margin of victory. He also stole the inbounds pass and passed the ball to West as Sarzonia played keep away to let the final horn sound.

The victory improved the Stars to 3-0. Valladares dropped to 2-1. Sarzonia will face Filindostan away next

by **Srednjaci** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:17 am

WORLD ARENA SPORT CHANEL 2

REPORTER: Dear viewers, it's time for basketball.
We saw a great performance by our basketball players and a victory against a strong and uncomfortable TJUN-ia with +10, 77:87 !!
With us in the studio are Davor Paradinović, the best player of the match and the president of the association Damir Kurjak.
Davor, congratulations on another victory, this is the second victory in a row.

DAVOR: oh yes, we played great, mostly in defense.

REPORTER: As far as we saw everything worked

DAVOR: We did everything we agreed with the coach before the game.

REPORTER: We saw the other face of the team, we saw young players playing very mature

DAVOR: Yes, the guys showed an enviable quality of play.

REPORTER: Let's see now what the situation is in front of the hall for the next home game.

REPORTER: Mr. Kurjak, how do you comment on such crowds?

KURJAK: here's what these victories did, basketball woke up in Srednjaci, more tickets are wanted. this is a great sight. This is a scene that every basketball and sports fan would like to see.

DAVOR: It is impossible to lose in front of such a large audience.

REPORTER: I agree with you and hope for new success.

DAVOR: There is something to be asked about our opponents as well hahaha

REPROTER: when we are with the opponent, let's look at all the results and the situation in the group.

Group C
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 87–67 Squidroidia
Smosh games 52–83 Nova Anglicana
TJUN-ia 77–87 Srednjaci

Group C                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom              3    3   0   250  207  +43
2 Nova Anglicana                         3    2   1   254  196  +58
3 Srednjaci                              3    2   1   228  221   +7
4 Smosh games                            3    1   2   183  231  −48
5 TJUN-ia                                3    1   2   226  227   −1
6 Squidroidia                            3    0   3   201  260  −59

KURJAK: we see that Zeta Reka and Hügeltald are moving forward with three victories, but we have now caught the connection.

REPORTER: yes it's nice to see we're at the top.
Let's look at the statistics of our players yesterday.

Davor Paradinović   22 pts , 12 asis.,  9 reb., 3 fouls
Nikola Tomljanović  20 pts , 10 asis., 16 reb., 3 fouls
Danijel Matković    15 pts , 11 asis.,  4 reb., 2 fouls
Stjepan Marković    10 pts ,  9 asis.,  6 reb., 4 fouls
Ivan Kotromanović    8 pts ,  4 asis.,  4 reb., 4 fouls
Josip Mikić	     7 pts ,  2 asis.,  2 reb., 2 fouls
Ante Marinović	     3 pts.,  0 asis.,  2 reb., 1 fouls 
Vedran Jurković	     2 pts.,  1 asis.,  1 reb., 1 fouls
Kornelije Turković   0 pts.,  3 asis.,  0 reb., 1 fouls
Darko Vučemilović    0 pts.,  1 asis.,  4 reb., 2 fouls

REPORTER: TJUN-ia, there are a handful of great players. Who do you think is the best player in their ranks?

DAVOR: It's definitely Mindaugas Carnisovas. Great player and one of the best in the tournament definitely.

REPORTER: guys, thank you for this visit, we are looking forward to new victories.
Dear viewers, stay with our program, follow the Olimpycs special and then the live broadcast of the basketball game Srednjaci vs Squidroidia.

by **Banija** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:25 am

Coach's Meeting, day after Banijan team lands in Busembe for Matchday 4

After the team had landed in Busembe, Isaiah Lavaga continued to find himself a very busy man. The Loyola University Regent now essentially had two very important, very busy jobs- trying to bring Banija to a repeat at the IBCs, as well as trying to help a Presidential search at his alma mater. It wasn't easy, but he thoroughly enjoyed being a regent- he wasn't going to give that up.

The Banijans, fortunately, were still in the early part of the group stages of the IBCs. And they had started out well. A dominant victory over Mytanija was followed by strong, blowout victories over both Maccian and Græntfjall. The win in Græntfjall was a particularly big one- it set a Banijan sporting record for most games played in a single country without a loss, with 15 and counting. All 14 games from IBC 30, plus this road win here. This was a general record, as well- not just for basketball, but for Banijan national teams in general.

The coaching staff had done a good job so far of identifying mismatches on the offensive end, and simply attacking them relentlessly. The amount of talent at their disposal, of course, makes it easier. Players like Akabueze, Nabongo, and Bullo are all world class athletes in their own right, and having them on the same team gives Banija such an advantage. And then they are led by their fearsome center, Sadio Bartaba- a scrapper, one who doesn't score much yet is so important to this teams' fabric, in regards to rebounding, rim protection, and in the locker room, even if he's only scoring about 6 points per.

It was Ezekiel Bullo who starred against the Super Wolves, bullying the smaller Elias Karstensson, shooting a team-leading 13 free throws throughout the night. He put on a showcase of his ability to get to the rim and the line.

"So, I'm sure we've all read the scouting reports for HUElavia." Isaiah Lavaga said. "We've seen their roster. There are two key matchups that I want to identify here, that we need to attack on offense. The first, of course, is Theo Dubuc at small forward. He's 6'3- four inches shorter than Ezekiel Bullo. That's another great matchup for us to attack. We did a great job of carving ways to get Bullo isolated on Karstensson, and he got to the rim at will. We've got to do the same against Dubuc. They've got an excellent defense, and we can identify that mismatch."

"Isaiah." Said the assistant coach, Oscar Laboto. "The other matchup we should talk about is the point guard- Akabueze v. Tomas Oluwole. Now, Oluwole has a full foot on Akabueze. He's at the point of attack for their defense- his size and length makes it difficult for the opposition to get their offenses going. We're going to have to run a lot of high screens. He may be big, but his size makes him a little bit slower than our smaller guards. Can he get to the rim?"

"Hmm, that's going to be a challenge." Lavaga said. "On offense, maybe we can figure it out. It's a brutal matchup for Akabueze. Jawo's a bit bigger- maybe he'll have to get some playing time. But here's the real question. Oluwole can see right over the top of our 1-3-1, when he has a full foot of height on the man at the top of our zone. How do we fix that?"

"Isaiah." Said a random, lower ranking assistant. "I have an idea. We just have to rotate our zone. Currently we have Akabueze at the top, Bullo in the middle with Faye and Nabongo flanking him, and Bartaba at the bottom. If we move Bullo to the top, we can slide Nabongo to the center, and have Faye and Akabueze on the wings. Bullo will give Oluwole a lot more problems than Akabueze could."

"Hmmm." Said Lavaga. He pondered it for a moment. "You know, this will be tough. We've only got a couple of days. But players understand the rotation, I think we can pull it off. If we don't, Oluwole will just kill us from the top of the key all day long. This is what good coaching is, right? Arrest these potential problems before they become actual problems."

After the coach's conversation ended, they prepared for practice, where they'd present the plan to the players and show them how to install it. But Lavaga would miss the beginning of practice- he had a Regents meeting that he'd have to video call. A rare thing for him to miss the beginning of a practice, but duty called, right? Lavaga prepared to receive a quick update on the Presidential search process before he'd go back to preparing the team for their pivotal game against undefeated HUElavia...

by **Xanneria** » Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:28 am

Maroons take down sluggish Trolleborg team
Excerpt from http://www.ballislife.xan/gamereports.html

Trolleborg 67–74 Xanneria

TROLLEBORG - In a matchup where in theory the Maroons were the underdogs, The Xannerian Maroons took down a troubled Trolleborg team 74-67 in Trolleborg. Again the heavy guard based defense of the Maroons saw plenty of action from both the main players, although one of them was back up guard Lloyd McClendon. McClendon split time with Andrew Gossett and the two teamed up for a nice beavy of baskets, all while shutting down the usually potent inside shooting from guards Ruud Aarst and Torfin Timin. While the two Trolleborgian player had trouble with outside and inside shooting, center Tomas Bryar had a nice near triple double as he was a assist feeding machine for the Wasaad and McClendon duo. Bryars stats were 17 points including two 3pt shots, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists. Bryar was given a player of the game award by the local media and the Xannerian media out of respect. Not to be ignored was the contribution from Wasaad, he got a 30 point game, most of any player so far this tournament and lead all scorers, Hopefully his partner in crime, McHicks will return next game. Despite the 17 seed, this loss sends the Trolleborg team to 0-3 while Xanneria is now 3-0 and facing a key matchup versus Newmanistan in two weeks, they will get unranked Khytonia.

LEADING SCORERS

Xanneria - 74
1.) H Wassad 30pts 4rbs 2ast
2.) T Bryar 17pts 9rbs 12ast
3.) L Faraday 15pts 2rbs 4ast

Trolleborg - 67
1.) T Brass 20 pts 4rbs 2stls
2.) R Aarst 14pts 3rbs 2ast
3.) T Timden 11pts 4rbs 3ast

International Basketball Championship 31 (IC Thread)

DROP IT DOWN!: We Stumble Again...

ANOTHER WICTORY FOR SREDNJACI

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