International Basketball Championships 33 - IC Thread

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff, Matchday 5 - Bollonich Half

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Group A
Hebitaka 87–58 Rick Perry
Bollonich 74–81 Sarzonia
Brookstation 70–89 Valanora

P Group A                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Sarzonia                  5    5   0   401  367  +34
2 Valanora                  5    4   1   441  344  +97
3 Bollonich                 5    3   2   381  353  +28
4 Brookstation              5    2   3   374  404  −30
5 Hebitaka                  5    1   4   357  395  −38
6 Rick Perry                5    0   5   323  414  −91

Group B
Trolleborg 83–84 Essena
Pemecutan 60–72 Hannasea
StrayaRoos 51–76 TJUN-ia

P Group B                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Hannasea                  5    5   0   432  352  +80
2 TJUN-ia                   5    4   1   429  313 +116
3 Trolleborg                5    2   3   394  393   +1
4 Pemecutan                 5    2   3   351  393  −42
5 Essena                    5    2   3   362  437  −75
6 StrayaRoos                5    0   5   346  426  −80

Group C
Kohnhead 66–83 The Orion Islands
Valentine Z 54–67 Nova Anglicana
United Adaikes 60–84 Græntfjall

P Group C                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Græntfjall                5    4   1   446  359  +87
2 Nova Anglicana            5    4   1   365  317  +48
3 Valentine Z               5    3   2   396  366  +30
4 United Adaikes            5    2   3   365  362   +3
5 The Orion Islands         5    1   4   339  435  −96
6 Kohnhead                  5    1   4   345  417  −72

Group D
Crystal Empire 92–62 Moliza
Southwest Eastnorth 80–91 Mytanija
Ardengard 81–71 Chromatika

P Group D                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Chromatika                5    4   1   415  347  +68
2 Mytanija                  5    4   1   433  371  +62
3 Ardengard                 5    4   1   394  384  +10
4 Crystal Empire            5    1   4   392  398   −6
5 Southwest Eastnorth       5    1   4   364  407  −43
6 Moliza                    5    1   4   352  443  −91

[Valentine Z]

The Valentians – Chapter 2 – An Unorthodox Style.

In what is perhaps seen as a freak cosmic coincidence and alignment, the Valentians are the only ones so far who can be anywhere from 13-16 feet on average (others can be a lot bigger or smaller, but mostly the former), and to play international basketball. From the people and otherworldly beings outside of Valentine Z that they have interacted with, none of them are like them, i.e. not needing to jump up in order to reach the hoop; all they need to do is to throw and make sure that they hit their mark. It was easier said than done, since the height also provided the disadvantage of being not very maneuverable in a relatively small basketball field, as well as having a ball stolen from their dribbles. As one of the fans outside of Valentine Z have put it, "I know about the Valentians since the NSSCRA 8 days and I will have to say, they are quite a strange bunch. It's already interesting enough for them to be in motorsports, and now they are in basketball with their gargantuan statures. If they are playing for fun, I'm sure all they need to do is drop the ball into the basketball like one would throw away a can into a trash bin."

This was all on top of what Gwen had already told the group, as well as Joshua coaching and training them into doing more offensive plays and throws. It has worked well for the team, even against those who has more wins and experience under their belts. The Valentians - undeterred and exuberant to simply be on the international grounds, went into a match with the Super Wolves. "Angels vs Wolves, this is going to be interesting!" Gwen said with glee, with the team changing into their uniforms, "Break a leg, guys! Well, not literally, but you know!" With that remark, Gwen's Angels nodded in unison and then marched into the court, cheers and applauses all around for both the Wolves and the Angels. The anticipation was high, the adrenaline was rushing through - it was time for a playoff.

It was from the very first few minutes that the Valentians have been sinking in shot after shot after shot. Hayes scored, Novokshonova scored, Awenasa blocked a shot, Sípos tackled (albeit a little haphazardly), Yuri kept the distance between her and the opponents, standard affair. Gwen's Angels felt as if they were unstoppable, scoring at least 30 points ahead of the Super Wolves. They simply could not believe the fortune that was heading their way, seeing how they were going against a team that was several times better than them. "Great job guys, keep it up!" Gwen yelled out from the sidelines, trying her best not to get onto the playing field by accident out of excitement. A few times where she did went over the line, she simply rewinded time and pretended nothing happened. Otherwise, she was not the type of person who would abuse her powers for a game, let alone for an international one. Of course, the cracks started to show as the match approached the near end, and the Angels were finally being shown the true capabilities of the Wolves. Gwen watched and recoiled in surprise as she saw Tom Farmansson tackling, stealing, and doing just about everything else towards the Angels. By the time the Wolves were done with them, the Angels were on the losing end at a 76-79, 10 seconds remaining. They were not going to make it, they thought. All the Valentians are left to do now is to wait for the inevitable bell, wrap up the match, and go home. However, Novokshonova had other plans. She stole the ball from the Wolves (from one Filip Marcusson) and in the heat of the moment, threw it high up into the basket. 4 seconds left on the clock, the ball making its trajectory into the basket. 2.5 seconds. 1 second. The ball circled the hoop's edge, leaned a little, taunting and tempting Fate.

"OVERTIME!" the announcer and the screen blared out. 79-79, the Wolves and Angels have more to play - 5 more minutes added into the clock. The players from both team got busy, defending and scoring points alike. 4 minutes have passed, and it would be down to 87-88, one point away for the Angels. "It's now or never! Go, you guys! You got this!" Gwen and Joshua were shouting and cheering from behind the bench, with Klarke attending to his medical inventory. 20 seconds passed, 40 more to go. Novokshonova dribbles, she went for the 3-pointer. She shot, and... she missed! Unlike that match-determining shot she did, the ball bounced off of the hoop and did not go through the hoop. She hung her head a bit low, disappointed yet still determined. After more tackling and stealing, the ball went to the Hayes, who started dribbling with the might of three average humans. Each rebound hit the court hard, impacting and causing small vibrations all over the place. "Go, Hayes!" the Angels on the bench cheered, "You can do it!" In the meantime, with 5 seconds left on the clock, Gwen was grabbing her head and was getting way too excited, "Shoot! NOW! HIT IT!" Focusing on the hoop alone, along with the basketball in his hand, Hayes took one step forward, a small sidestep to avoid a Wolves player, and then he shoots. The ball flew towards the hoop, 3.2 seconds left on the clock. As the Wolves were blocking the Angels to the best of their abilities and vice versa, they watched the ball finish its trajectory. 1 second... 0.5... 0.25... 1/8th... 1/16th.

"90-88! THE ANGELS WON!" the announcer shouted, with cheers and shouts coming from all over the court. With the ecstatic crowd, exuberant teammates, exhilarated manager and coach, and the medic who exhaled, the Angels ran towards the middle of the court and started celebrating and cheering. Of course, they also offered their handshakes and high-fives (and down-lows) to the Wolves for putting up such a fight.

"And that is how we got into such a close match with the greats like the Super Wolves. They put up such a challenge! 素晴らしかったです! (It was amazing!)" Hayes later commented on an interview.

[Hannasea]

           Yowana Mandala Stadium, Pemecutan Puri Federal City
           PEMECUTAN 60 – 72 HANNASEA
           (17–20, 14–21, 18–21, 11–10)
Pts: Septiandi, Mahesa 17   Pts: Floyd 17
             Rbds: Karyadi 7   Rbds: Brazier 12
          Asts: Mahesa 4   Asts: Cook 5

Hannasea made it to the halfway break in IBC qualifying with their perfect record intact and filled with increasing optimism about making the finals in Quebec and Bollonich. T.J. Floyd was once again the offensive standout as the Hannaseans made it 5-from-5 in the first half of qualifying, defeating Pemecutan in Yowana Mandala Stadium. The Melayu Archipelago team's guards, Restu Septiandi and Gede Surya Mahesa kept things close, scoring 17 points apiece - but both failed to score from the field, limited to a single Septiani free-throw, in the fourth quarter, as Hannasea's hustling defence rose to the challenge and preserved a tight lead. Nate Evans, starting for the so far underwhelming Cash Pittman, and bench shooter Cole Parker both notched double figures, while Jacques Brazier pulled down a tournament-high 12 rebounds. "T.J. had a nice game again, he's looking very comfortable running the offence," said coach Nick Davidson. One of the highlights of the game saw Floyd execute a fluid Rushmorestep move that sat Septiandi down hard, and even earned some grudging cheers from the Pemecutan crowd. "With shooters it's all about confidence, so if he wants the ball in his hands, that's good for us."

Pittman saw just 12 minutes off the bench, picking up 5 points and 4 rebounds. Under pressure for his defensive frailty, his is perhaps the biggest uncertainty remaining at a team that otherwise seems confident of its best starting lineup. Brazier's dominating presence in the post has allowed Davidson to experiment without the need for a more traditional power forward, but of his three options – Evans, Pittman, and Nathan Shapiro – none are currently shooting particularly well and all have vulnerabilities on defence. "We'll keep chopping and changing a bit until we get the right combination," admitted Davidson, as the team prepare to return to Hannasea for a mini-camp before the second half resumes with a visit to StrayaRoos.

[Sarzonia]

Today was a good day for Mike West on the grief front.

He spent the day in his hotel room talking with his mother Clara West and his brothers Henry Jr. and Lewis. Point guard Ben Thomas also sat in his room and the two "just chilled," according to Thomas. They spent the day with Thomas listening to Mike talk about his father, the good times sitting behind the team bench during Sarzonia's dominant period in the International Basketball Championships, an era that saw Sarzonia win four titles from eight consecutive trips to the finals under Henry West.

It was also a great day for Mike West on the basketball court as Sarzonia faced co-hosts Bollonich at National Basketball Arena in Fremont. The Stars shooting guard scored 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting from the floor, including three-of-four from 3-point range, and Sarzonia defeated Bollonich 81-74 to wrap up the first half of qualifying in the 33rd IBC with a 5-0 record. Mike West also pulled down 10 rebounds and was two assists away from earning a triple double as he played with "a vengeance," according to Thomas.

"Mike was out to prove something," Thomas said. "He wanted to show he could still ball even when he had other shit on his mind."

So, too, could Sarzonia. Except for Bollonich centre Elwin Rowbottom throwing down a thunderous slam dunk to give the hosts a 2-0 lead, the Stars never trailed. Sarzonia went on an 8-0 run following the opening basket for Rowbottom with centre Terry Rutledge answering with a power jam of his own on the next Stars possession. West then anticipated a pass from Bollonichian point guard Tracey Gilliam toward Rowbottom and stole it, running coast to coast and stuffing the ball with authority. The first quarter ended with Sarzonia up 19-10 and the Stars led by as many as 24 points before manager Thomas Manningham emptied the bench. Bollonich cut the deficit in garbage time, but never seriously threatened after halftime.

Sarzonia joined Hannasea as one of at least two unbeaten sides, but Hannasea have a much greater point differential at plus-80 to Sarzonia's plus-34. Manningham said that point differential wasn't a concern, at least not yet.

"As we get closer to the end of qualifying, it will play a role," Manningham said. "But for right now, results are all I'm concerned about. Being one of the top two finishers is our first goal." With the teams at the halfway point of the competition, Sarzonia are first with that 5-0 record and third ranked Valanora are second at 4-1. The Vanorians have the highest scoring offence in the group with 441 points and have conceded the fewest points with 344, giving them a group best point differential of plus-97. Sarzonia have scored the second most points in the group with 401. The Stars figure of 367 points conceded ranks third in the group behind Valanora and Bollonich.

As for Mike West, he said he plans to continue to take care of his own mental health as he deals with his emotions about Henry West's death. Playing the second of two consecutive away matches against 2-3 Brookstation should help in that regard.

"It's another day of not going to an arena named after my dad," Mike West said of the former Palestra. The Stars return home to Henry West Centre against the aforementioned Valanora in what some are describing as a "hugely critical match."

"Both teams are looking to advance to the knockout rounds, and this match very well could go a long way toward determining the fate of both sides," Rutledge said. "It's huge for us to be able to play it in front of our home supporters." Stadium administration have announced the match is already sold out.

[Bollonich]

Matchday 5 Cutoff, Quebec Half

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Group E
HUElavia 78–61 The Andorian Systems
Juvencus 78–74 Equestria
Pyazhnaya 57–85 Quebec and Shingoryeo

  Group E                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                  5    4   1   442  340 +102
2 Equestria                              5    3   2   422  379  +43
3 Juvencus                               5    3   2   374  381   −7
4 The Andorian Systems                   5    3   2   378  402  −24
5 HUElavia                               5    2   3   378  390  −12
6 Pyazhnaya                              5    0   5   331  433 −102

Group F
Kriegiersien 60–73 Democratic Republic of Arztotzka
Magnecia 84–77 Indusse
Ko-oren 77–93 Drawkland

  Group F                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD
1 Drawkland                              5    5   0   419  360  +59
2 Ko-oren                                5    4   1   398  356  +42
3 Magnecia                               5    3   2   360  370  −10
4 Indusse                                5    1   4   412  417   −5
5 Kriegiersien                           5    1   4   329  361  −32
6 Democratic Republic of Arztotzka       5    1   4   349  403  −54

Group G
Qasden 74–82 Hantuonia
Annyeong Oppa 79–60 Omerica
Gatchingerrak Union 71–93 Banija

  Group G                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD
1 Banija                                 5    5   0   478  326 +152
2 Omerica                                5    3   2   398  444  −46
3 Annyeong Oppa                          5    2   3   355  361   −6
4 Hantuonia                              5    2   3   362  395  −33
5 Gatchingerrak Union                    5    2   3   355  398  −43
6 Qasden                                 5    1   4   374  398  −24

Group H
Hispinas 79–63 Japhetic
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 81–73 Lisander
Commonwealth of Baker Park 58–80 Abanhfleft

  Group H                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Abanhfleft                             5    5   0   438  340  +98
2 Lisander                               5    3   2   399  373  +26
3 Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom              5    3   2   394  379  +15
4 Commonwealth of Baker Park             5    3   2   392  387   +5
5 Hispinas                               5    1   4   355  395  −40
6 Japhetic                               5    0   5   324  428 −104

[The Orion Islands]

After four straight losses to open the Orion Islands first ever entry into the International Basketball Championship, the Orion Islands pulled off a massive surprise, defeating 23rd ranked Kohnhead by a score of 83 to 66. The Orionites once again got off to a slow start, as Kohnhead put down six straight three pointers to open the game, drawing boos from the 8,942 who had shown up at National Convention Hall (still less than half capacity, but nevertheless a record crowd for a basketball match on Orionite soil.) But then coach Lonnie Reyes decided to shake things up, replacing a completely ineffective Edmund Beck with Casey Collier at center. Collier and Lonnie Summers turned into an unstoppable offensive duo, as they seemed to know what every defensive scheme was before Kohnhead did. Collier and Summers quickly put up a 15-4 run, putting the Orionites back into the game at the end of the first. The second saw Kohnhead fight back, as they managed to take a 47 to 35 lead into intermission. However, the wheels fell off for the 23rd ranked team in the multiverse, as Orionite guards Ellis Wong and Tracy Zimmerman completely shut down the opposing offense, forcing a total of 14 second half turnovers and denying the opposing offense all but two boards in the second half. On the offensive end of the floor for the Orionites, Summers, Collier, and forward Lamar Brewer completely dominated the game from that point forward. When the final buzzer sounded, the Orionite fans quickly stormed the court to celebrate the historic win for the fledgling sport in the country, a sign that basketball perhaps has a bright future in the Islands. Summers dominated with a triple double, putting up 24 points and 14 rebounds, while also picking up six assists. Collier put up his first career double double, putting up 19 points and 12 rebounds, while also picking up five assists. Lamar Brewer also put up some impressive numbers, scoring 14 with seven boards and six assists.
Coach Lonnie Reyes was tremendously pleased. "We exceeded expectations already, we now have a credible team and a credible sport here in the Orion Islands. It was a perfect harmony that took the floor tonight. Everyone gave it all they could." When asked about who would start at center going forward, Reyes said "What do you think after that incredible game Collier gave us tonight?"
The Orion Islands next travels to Græntfjall, who has already destroyed the ROI in the tournament.

[Mytanija]

ALPHABET HOOP - THOUGHTS ON MYTANAR BASKETBALL
by Almedina Radovanovic

MYTANIJA LOOK SOLID AT THE HALFWAY POINT

It's a good thing Mytanija have looked unstoppable at times on the offensive end of the game because at times their defensive play has not been up to the standard they have shown in the past. This was once again the case on the trip across Rushmore to Southwest Eastnorth where Mytanija gave up 80 points but were in electric scoring form to put 91 points on the board and seal a vital win as we reach the halfway point of qualification. Duro Papac was impressive, notching 14 assists as he showed off the creative side to his game which inspired Mirko Lazetic to hand him a starting role for this edition of the International Basketball Championships.

It's not easy to put a finger on exactly what is causing the decline in defensive output. It is possible that introducing three new starters to the preferred starting line-up could have had an effect, though Mario Djokanovic in particular has plenty experience in playing with the national team (and therefore Evgeny Fomin and Zelimir Ateljevic, i.e. the team's guaranteed starters) and Uzejir Juric is hardly green when it comes to playing alongside new faces. Juric is also a fairly solid defender, though the step up to international competition may have made things a little more difficult for him.

"I'm not overly concerned, if I'm honest. We're winning games at the moment and that's the key thing. Ideally we'd want to be locking people out as regularly as we can, but I don't see too much wrong with how we are doing right now either." Mirko Lazetic explained to reporters following the victory over Southwest Eastnorth. Zelimir Ateljevic held a similar opinion and wasn't afraid of letting people know about it, claiming that Mytanar journalists were 'always looking for a story despite the team generally performing well.'

The truth is that Mytanija are winning and there's not any great cause for concern, but it doesn't mean that the team cannot improve. Evgeny Fomin prides himself on his defensive abilities and that was something which seemed to transmit to his team mates in previous tournaments. Currently the team is playing a different way, relying more on the team's shot-creating abilities than their proficiency in creating stops. Modern basketball often makes this difficult, something defenders never fail to mention, but we have seen top teams perform exceptionally on the defensive end to win titles and whilst this group might not be quite at that level right now it is definitely where they would like to be.

A 91-80 win at Southwest Eastnorth is nothing to be sniffed at and it leaves the team well positioned heading into the second-half of qualifying. Mytanija lie 2nd based on head-to-head results, with Chromatika sharing the 4-1 record following their defeat against a spirited Ardengard team. Ardengard lie down in 3rd place with that same 4-1 record, an impressive introduction to the IBC for their national team. Mytanija will believe that they can take advantage of such a tight group by leapfrogging Chromatika with a head-to-head win and consistent performances from here on out, though the matches against both of their fellow 4-1 teams take on an even greater level of importance given how competitive it is for a qualifying spot.

[TJUN-ia]

After we got back to blowing up teams against Pemecutan at home, the Hoops-Jags were getting back in their stride as the road to the playoffs continued in IBC33. Bao Zhou has certainly been happy with how his Dynasty has bounced back from the buzzer-beater loss to Hannasea but stressed that there was no time for complacency if we wanted to get a good seeding for the playoffs - or even make them, in fact. Heading into the Pale Tennis Stadium to play a winless StrayaRoos team, the task was still to win no matter the opponents.

I'll get this straight out of the way, we beat the hosts by 25 tonight and that was pretty fun. The hosts did have some life in this contest, with Ed Kail and LeBron Lames both ending up with double-digit points in this contest that contributed to the 51 the hosts scored, but it was never going to be enough the way DeMarcus Winston was playing. I seem to be a broken record every game, but the 33-year-old just refuses to slow down and put up another 15 points tonight. Adamo Zamenhofo and Jean-Jacques Mpolando also put up good numbers and while being #2 is very stressful, being 4-1 halfway through and 3 games ahead of the rest is certainly a good way of keeping this momentum going.

Both us and Hannasea seem to be running away with the playoff berths so far unless chaos happens, which is pretty good considering the other groups (we wouldn't want to be involved in that 3-way tie in Group D, for example). Making sure we qualify will be the #1 priority for Zhou for the rest of the way and getting through this 3-game road stretch will certainly be important. We've overcome the Roos, now comes Essena before our potential revenge game on MD7. GO JAGS!

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SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: vs Essena (UR) - Unity Centre, Riverside W 102-51 (1st)
MD2: vs Hannasea (18) - Unity Centre, Riverside L 84-87 (3rd)
MD3: @Trolleborg (24) W 77-62 (2nd)
MD4: vs Pemecutan (28) - Unity Centre, Riverside W 90-62 (2nd)
MD5: @StrayaRoos (UR) - Jol Arena, Pale City (?) W 76-51 (2nd/+116PD)
---------------------BREAK---------------------
MD6: @Essena (UR)
MD7: @Hannasea (18) - Monster MASH, Pintook
MD8: vs Trolleborg (24) - Unity Centre, Riverside
MD9: @Pemecutan (28) - Yowana Mandala Stadium, Pemecutan Puri Federal City
MD10: vs StrayaRoos (UR) - Unity Centre, Riverside

[Nova Anglicana]

Somewhere in Valentine Z

Matty Stewart turned to Jimmy Haynes following the Lions' 67-54 win over Gwen's Angels. "Well, that was weird as shit."

"You said it, Matty," replied Haynes. "Going up against literal giants. I know that the ponies are some of the best in the multiverse, but I'd almost rather play against them then against people who are fourteen feet tall. Disorienting."

"How in the everloving hell did we manage to hold them to 54?" asked Stewart. "They're taller than the hoop by like, four or five feet. They could have just walked across the court in a few steps and dunked it every time."

"I think the IBO probably told 'em they couldn't," said Haynes. "That or maybe getting everything co-ordinated and going in the right place is really difficult when you're fourteen feet tall."

"You're probably right," said Stewart. "The best way we found to play defense was just to try to steal the ball somewhere in between it hitting the ground and bouncing back up when they were dribbling. We did force 18 turnovers, but I'm pretty sure 16 or 17 of them were us stealing it and not them throwing it away. There's basically no way for us to harass them when we're literally half their size."

"Or less than half in your case, shrimp," jibed Haynes with a laugh.

"Shut up, Jimmy," retorted Stewart. "What's five inches when you're playing against literal giants?"

"Nah, nah, you're right," said Haynes. "We couldn't have won the game without you. Those Valentians might be tall, but they were slow as shit on defense, so your slashing and passing was really key. They couldn't block everything when we were mostly shooting layups."

"I feel like we escaped tonight," said Stewart. "A thirteen point win looks pretty comfortable, but it was the same story as against Kohnhead. Close most of the way and we just kind of pulled ahead late. I wouldn't want to face them in the playoffs."

"I know that's right," said Haynes. "One more game against them to go. At least it's at home, so it won't feel quite so weird. Still, 4-1 to start qualifying? A hell of a lot better than last time."

"For sure," said Stewart. "That last IBC left a bad taste in my mouth. Let's go show those United Adaikes bastards they got lucky the last time and then punch the Snow Wolves in the mouth. I'd like to see Iirosson try to reject me again. Let's finish 9-1 and storm into the playoffs."

The two fist-bumped and headed for the locker room, ready to fire up their teammates for the second half of the tournament.

[Banija]

Strong start to IBC 33 as Banijans race off to 5-0

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- With the top-ranked scoring offense and third-ranked scoring defensive of the IBCs, the Banijan Lions(as opposed to the Nova Anglicana Lions) have gotten off to a flying start in their pursuit for what would be an unprecedented 4th straight world title in basketball. Being placed in a competitive group with Qasden and Omerica, the Banijans have come out and shown both their class and their depth, with most of the first five games being decided by the end of the third quarter, including their stunning and blitzing 57 point win over the group's second seeds, Omerica.

What individuals are doing well? The first thing that we must pay attention to are the changes that Coach Lavaga made in the front court. Oluwasegun Tionge just finished leading the California City Lakers of Quebec to stunning success, earning the Quebecois team their first IUBC title, and breaking the stranglehold that Equestria and Valanora had held in international club basketball. After his excellent performances in domestic play and IUBC play, Coach Lavaga felt that he had no choice but to bring Tionge into the starting lineup for the first time in his international career. "This is Tionge's fourth tournament, and yet, his first as a starter." Coach Lavaga said. "Your club form- what you're doing professionally matters, and he's earned the starting spot." While Tionge is asked to do almost nothing on offense, with his less than 4 points per game coming almost exclusively via putbacks and alley-oops, the 7'4 tower has been a dominant presence in the center of Banija's vaunted 1-3-1 zone defense. Getting over 11 boards a game, and even more importantly, over 2.5 blocks per game- fantastic numbers. He doesn't care he's not scoring, either, willing to do the dirty work to make sure his team wins. Sadio Bartaba part 2?

Beyond that, we have the usual suspects. There are rumors that the 34 year old point guard Ibezimako Akabueze is participating in his last tournament as an international for Banija. You can't say he hasn't had a successful career- starring in Donnacona at the club level, three-time world champion, a regional champion, even a former college star at the University of Moravica. He's a guy who's out here making an impact, even in limited minutes. One of four players on the team averaging double digits, he's also distributing the ball at a solid level, averaging over four assists a game. There are rumors that he wants to spend the rest of his career in a league that participates in the IUBC- even though he'll be 35 next year, he's still got the skill level to contribute, even if his days of playing 35 minutes a night are over. Banija's had a star point guard for as long as anyone can remember, with Amadou Secka transitioning seamlessly to Akabueze. Lots of questions on who will take his place in three years- but that's three years away. For now? His likely final ride in this uniform.

Then, of course, the team's ever present superstar, Ezekiel Bullo. 32 years old. Will be 35 years old at the next IBC. Who knows if he'll answer the call for his country again? But he's playing at an elite level at this tournament, with all of his focus on the now. Averaging 17-5-3 at the international level, on a team with so many talented players, are very strong numbers. You can tell in the way he plays, the ways he's capable of taking over a game. He's got the size and strength to beat you just about from any spot on the floor. Can get to the rim almost at will, can pick his spot and drill a jump shot... This guy might be the best wing in the game, full stop. It's hard to gameplan around stopping him- and yet, when we get to the knockout stages, that's exactly what our opponents will be doing.

Other players are also playing well, with Ebrahima Faye and Kizza Alanso both contributing excellently, and most importantly, none of the starters seem unhappy with how much of the basketball they are getting. Same with the bench players. Israel Arefani was the finals MVP in the White Winter Queendom, and yet, he has to come off the bench for his country, stuck behind one of the best two-guards in the world, Ebrahima Faye. No matter- Arefani is still effective off the bench, scoring nearly 10 points a game in about 15 minutes a night, while defending on the perimeter at an elite level. Koman Shomari has impressed as well, and Antoumann Ceesay has not outwardly complained in response to his benching in favor of Tionge.

It's the players who are struggling where the team has worries. Particularly, the backup point guards- Odion Ozoemena and Tigrian Tesheme. Neither have had strong tournaments, with Tesheme having more turnovers than assists, and neither player scoring the ball at a particularly impressive rate. Former national team play Faraba Savaneh said that the play at the backup point guard spot could come to hurt the team deeper in the tournament. "We can probably survive the group stage all right. But Akabueze's days of playing 35 minutes a night, consistently, are done. We're gonna need big minutes at point- but can Ozoemena or Tesheme give them to us? Neither have given me much confidence, as a fan, that they can play the 1."

What would Banija do in that situation? Coach Lavaga, of course, publicly supported them. "Game at a time." He said. "Sometimes, players struggle, but they got time to get back on track. I can sleep at night." But internally, he has to be frustrated. Maybe Ezekiel Bullo would get minutes at point guard when Akabueze has to sit on the bench later on? Or even Israel Arefani, who showed off his multi-faceted skillset for the Hinteram Ghouls in Græntfjall, could get point guard minutes at that point in time. We'll have to see if Lavaga tries any sort of lineups without any of Banija's three listed point guards on the court in the second half of the group stages, to see what he has to do in those minutes where Akabueze doesn't play.

Other News
- The Banijan national basketball is on the way to earning its 4th consecutive #1 overall seed for the knockout stages of the IBCs. With the top ranked offense and #3 defense, it leaves the team number one in overall point differential. Coach Lavaga told reporters that he was expecting a "high intensity level" from the national team, however. "The second half is always more difficult than the first- we started this tournament with 3 of our first four games in the friendly confines of Banijan stadia. We're going to have to do a lot more travelling, a lot more air miles, and teams have already seen us- they will make counters for us. When I say we need to maintain the intensity, I don't just mean in games- I mean in practice. Effort and focus on the practice court. In the film room. In the weight room. That's where championships are won and lost, and if we want another that's where our focus needs to be."
- Coach Lavaga defended his fellow head coach, Edouard-Noel Halbert, after he was placed on an indefinite leave of absence by an increasingly under-pressure Basketball Quebec. "It's highly unfortunate that he's ended up in this situation." Coach Lavaga said. "The pressures of coaching a national team, of course, in any sport, are vast. And Halbert is young. But Halbert is one of the best young coaches I've seen, certainly one of, if not the best young coach in the Commonwealth. He knows the game, he connects well with players- he would've taken the Quebecois men to new heights. He's an excellent young man of character as well, as I've known from the few brief meetings I've had with him. He made a mistake, yes- there is no better teacher than life. Hopefully he learns from this and recovers, and hopefully we can see him back on the sideline sooner rather than later."

Banijan Statistical Averages- First 5 games of IBC 33

Position	Name	Minutes	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Turnovers	Steals	Blocks
Starters	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
PG	Ibezimako Akabueze	24	11.4	0.8	4.2	1.2	1.2	0.0
SG	Ebrahima Faye	22	17.2	1.2	2.4	1.6	1.4	0.0
SF	Ezekiel Bullo	25	17.6	5.4	3.2	1.6	2.2	0.2
PF	Kizza Alonso	26	12.2	6.8	2.4	1.8	0.6	0.2
C	Oluwasegun Tionge	23	3.6	11.4	0.0	1.0	0.0	2.6
Bench	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
PG	Odion Ozoemena	11	2.4	0.2	2.2	1.2	0.4	0.0
PG/SG	Tigrian Tesheme	8	2.0	0.4	1.0	1.2	0.8	0.0
C/PF	Antouman Ceesay	10	7.0	4.2	0.4	0.6	0.0	0.4
SG	Israel Arefani	15	9.8	1.0	1.8	1.2	0.2	0.0
SF/PF	Zufan Hawani	9	2.4	4.2	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.0
C	Raila Amolo	10	3.0	6.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.6
SF/PF	Koman Shomari	17	7.0	6.4	1.6	0.2	0.0	0.2
Team-Wide Numbers	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Per Game	Averages	200	95.6	48.0	19.2	11.8	6.8	4.2
Tournament	Totals	1,000	478	240	96	59	34	21

[StrayaRoos]

StrayaRoos 0-5 after round 5 of IBC33
5 losses in a row has caused basketball StrayaRoos to fire the current coach Frank Jera and replace him with Greg antovic who coached the National University Athletic Association Panem University Phoenix basketball side to the title last season and The new Coach in his first press conference after his appointment at Pale Tennis Centre he said

"
I hope that this Team can learn how to be an Threat to teams Like Hannasea and TJUN-ia and Eventually bring home the nation's first world Championship and give the people back home something to celebrate after our failure to get past any group phase in sports such as the Elephant chess world cup And VWE In addition to ARWC

[Equestrian States]

Group A
Celestial Gardens (cap. 12,115) in Canterlot

Match Day 1
Banija 93–67 Busoga Islands
Equestria 91–70 Tropicorp
Qasden 80–63 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles

Match Day 2
Busoga Islands 92–71 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
Tropicorp 79–82 Qasden
Banija 80–75 Equestria

Match Day 3
Equestria 80–57 Busoga Islands
Qasden 76–98 Banija
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 79–73 Tropicorp

Match Day 4
Busoga Islands 61–80 Tropicorp
Banija 70–69 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles
Equestria 83–61 Qasden

Match Day 5
Qasden 92–59 Busoga Islands
Pluvia and the Saxean Isles 67–82 Equestria
Tropicorp 56–83 Banija

  Group A                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win %
1 Banija                           5   5  0  424 343 +81    1.000   Q
2 Equestria                        5   4  1  411 335 +76    0.800   Q
3 Qasden                           5   3  2  391 382  +9    0.600   Q
4 Tropicorp                        5   1  4  358 396 −38    0.200   Q
5 Busoga Islands                   5   1  4  336 416 −80    0.200
6 Pluvia and the Saxean Isles      5   1  4  349 397 −48    0.200

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Group B
Warriors' Hall (cap. 5,990) in Cloudsdale

Match Day 1
Valanora 83–61 Aji No Moto
Crystal Empire 61–75 Sultanate of Oontaz
Baker Park 84–59 Mlima Kijani

Match Day 2
Aji No Moto 73–82 Mlima Kijani
Sultanate of Oontaz 78–81 Baker Park
Valanora 83–66 Crystal Empire

Match Day 3
Crystal Empire 68–62 Aji No Moto
Baker Park 71–74 Valanora
Mlima Kijani 72–81 Sultanate of Oontaz

Match Day 4
Aji No Moto 91–76 Sultanate of Oontaz
Valanora 91–62 Mlima Kijani
Crystal Empire 67–95 Baker Park

Match Day 5
Baker Park 99–82 Aji No Moto
Mlima Kijani 77–66 Crystal Empire
Sultanate of Oontaz 71–93 Valanora

  Group B                        Pld   W  L   PF  PA  PD    Win %
1 Valanora                         5   5  0  424 331 +93    1.000   Q
2 Baker Park                       5   4  1  430 360 +70    0.800   Q
3 Sultanate of Oontaz              5   2  3  381 398 −17    0.400   Q
4 Mlima Kijani                     5   2  3  352 395 −43    0.400   Q
5 Crystal Empire                   5   1  4  328 392 −64    0.200
6 Aji No Moto                      5   1  4  369 408 −39    0.200

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Quarterfinals
Mountainside Arena (cap. 6,800) in Stalliongrad

Banija 85–57 Mlima Kijani
Baker Park 86–79 Qasden
Valanora 80–57 Tropicorp
Equestria 72–64 Sultanate of Oontaz

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Semifinals
Manehattan Harbor Sports Park (cap. 9,150) in Manehattan

Banija 87–77 Baker Park
Valanora 76–72 Equestria

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Third Place Playoff
Manehattan Harbor Sports Park (cap. 9,150) in Manehattan

Baker Park 64–84 Equestria

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Championship Game

Banija 83–78 Valanora
at Celestial Gardens (cap. 12,115) in Canterlot

[Chromatika]

Three Reasons Chromatika Should Do Well in the IBC
1. The combination of Park Jung-Hyuk and Lia Xiu is too good for them to do anything worse than make the Quarterfinals. Park and Xiu have both averaged more than twenty-three points per game in the first five games of the IBC, while Park has been averaging more than ten assists per game and Xiu have also been adding on ample amount of rebounds. As long as the Penguins have these two, there is a chance.
2. The depth for this team is pretty great. Jericho Sand and Hera Gant's contributions in this IBC have been solid, and it's allowing Park and Xiu to take valuable moments to rest on the bench.
3. There's some experience on this squad. After the IBC that Chromatika hosted, this Penguins roster is stacked with players who have been around the block. The first five have played with each other for years and it's starting to pay off.

Three Reasons Chromatika Will Falter in the IBC
1. The CBA's folding for a season meant that the players had nowhere to ply their craft. Though it's not a very good association, the CBA did provide a place for the players to play each other, at least. This means that they lack experience in recent minutes played.
2. Chromatika has yet to really excel in big games. Sure, we've beaten Mytanija twice, but the fact that they were so handled by Banija in the last tournament means that though they are ranked eighth in the world, there is a lot to be left desired.
3. Chromatika hasn't had much luck when it comes to matchups. This will be all about avoiding Banija as much as possible, but the luck of the Penguins will probably mean that they'll draw someone who's either as good as the Penguins or as formidable as Banija before too long.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

While all the controversies had engulfed the Quebecois basketball world, the slow pace of life continued to ring at the 152 Sutcliffe Crescent, as Asher Lundrigan, husband of renowned singer-songwriter Plongeon, best friend of Grim Reapers' legend Heo Myeong-Yoon, and a well-known friend of Her Majesty the Queen, found himself back in the metropolis. While Asher, whose status as an accomplished Korean-language writer and intellectual had afforded him mobility, was exiled back in Coxwell Park for the last five years, the young Lundrigan family of him, Eileen and their two children, had recently decided to move back to Montreal for their daughter's education, something that was more of his saying than hers.

But there were more reasons than that. At age thirty-one, Asher was still fighting the advents of Charcot-Marie-Tooth that continues to affect his mobility, and while the expansive plots of Coxwell Park gave him enough space to keep himself unnoticed, there were layers of discomfort that he felt whenever the stays have become too long. For many reasons, he never really disclosed the details of his illness to his wife's family aside from immediate members, and the social dynamics of a small-town setup wasn't the best for him. In the end, Asher and Eileen agreed that continuing treatments inside a bigger city would be a better measure for everybody, and moved back on the conditions that they would be able to move back and forth.

Since retirement, his life had mostly revolved around the 20km radius of the five-bedroom house, with him enjoying the walks within the private garden every morning, visiting local shops unassumingly with his wife, or picking up his daughter Claire from a local kindergarten. He saw very few people aside from his high school friends, preferring to keep in contact with others via email or SpaceBook, and kept himself away from any engagement unless in clear agreement. Of course, there were certain exceptions, like the famous Heo siblings of sporting fame, and that connection alone was why the Christine the Second, whose curiosity as an all-seeing monarch of this country, invited Asher Lundrigan to the Palais Royale for the first time since his farewell to high society.

'Better to come quietly and leave even quieter than to risk the Queen's wrath,' said Asher, when he and Eileen were talking over lunch about the very invitation, which had always come in Korean, delivered on a purple and gold message and the word 'Regina Mundi expects you at [insert the certain hour].' Asher knew there was no choice - he knew too much about what the media started to call as the Halbert-Hovington Affair - and it was better to give enough without being directly responsible for burned bridges.

At eleven in the morning, Asher had arrived at the Purple Room of the Palais Royale, with a loyal guard, Leopold, announcing the arrival seconds before door was opened. The furnitures and household arrangement had remained the same for most part, since he last bid the Queen farewell for the time being, but there's a bit more vibrancy added to this room's atmosphere. In the five years that followed between their last meeting, Christine II slowly came to accept more guests other than her family or the Prime Minister, and the high society had come to speak more of Christine II's majestic presence in all aspects of the Quebec City's high society where she spoke in calculated, well-measured terms.

'Your Majesty,' Asher only said one word, before making a light head bow to the Queen.

'Not today, friend,' answered the Queen, as she suggested him to withdraw the gesture. 'This is not an official meeting, and you aren't the Prime Minister. You were invited as a personal friend of the monarch and no more.'

Sooner than later, a set of afternoon tea was prepared and set up as ordered by the Palace earlier today. It was clear from the signs that the Queen and the commoner, whose friendship had stood strong over the years, were not in the most comfortable of situations to discuss. Both sides knew why, and it perfectly made sense. Half of it came from how they knew too much of each other, and the other half were about the the monarch's plans involving their children, something that Asher knew he wouldn't be able to prevent. Still, the very crux of the conversation had to be proceeded.

'I'm sure you know why you are here,' Christine the Second said, as a servant asked if he could clear the already-emptied dishes. The monarch said yes, before suggesting with a light hand gesture that he bring glasses of Dhunmoor and Clairemont Ridge whiskeys, two of each. The servant nodded, collecting the dishes to the trolley before placing a wide range of newspapers. 'And it involves those I know dearly too, but not as dearly as you do for obvious reasons.'

Asher immediately looked down and checked the newspapers, which mostly came from the Big 4 of Gaegyeong Gazette, Montreal Praetorian, Le Mazepa, and The Taegukgi, but also held few regional papers as well.

'Well.' There were multiple headlines he read from the selection: 'Family Legacy Everything for the Heo Siblings' - 'Basketball Quebec fires Halbert, the unfaithful Grim Reapers coach' - 'Coach Fraternity showing off ugliest heads as Banija coach Lavaga defends Halbert' - 'Is Seo-Hovington's betrayal a historic worst among Quebecois sports?' - 'In Retrospective to the Gyeongbuk A&M Scandal- 50 Years On'.

'The last article's interesting, and I know exactly why you put it there,' Asher looked at the Queen, giving her a loose smirk that wasn't lost even in the seriousness of this situation. The very picture of late William Yi, the Duke of Bathurst whose condemning comments on the QIS circuit had rang particularly strong on the eve of affair that struck the world of Quebecois long-distance running, was more than enough to suggest the connection he was trying to go for. 'The late duke being the coach of my uncle, who eventually took the position offered by his good friend, Sir. Philippe Ahn, and managed it for thirty-three years...'

'And that's exactly why you were brought here, even though I shouldn't be the one taking initiative on something like this,' answered the Queen, raising her left index finger. Not this early at least, she thought, remembering that it was going to take another decade before HRH Alexandre, the crown prince, will meet the destined woman of his choice, though the one that she would be long setting him up for...without Alexandre's awareness. 'And I am sure you know two people close enough to the man of concern.'

There was no answer - Her insistence held Asher back for a bit. It was clear his mind, while aware of the very reason for all this time, was not prepared to answer. She cleared her throat, before asking, 'What do you think about Gustave Seo-Hovington? The Mount Ester director?'

'Hovington?' Asher raised his eyebrows. 'Isn't he the man who personally recruited Myeong-Yoon? The man who succeeded Sir. Philippe upon the recommendations of my uncle Brock Andreas? The man whose ties with Heos going back to his days with the junior national team when the Dr. Heo, Marin Dugriescu (OOC note: two-time Olympic gold medalist in team sabre) and Hovington were the so-called big three? Most importantly, the man who is a good friend of that family?' He then concluded, 'Then the answer is yes.'

'That interests me,' answered the Queen, her Majesty's eyes glowing for multiple seconds. Even after nine years of being a monarch, her dose of enthusiasm, more a feature of her teenage and college years, would sometimes show when something of her interest had popped up. 'So tell me what you know about the Mount Ester athletic director. I'm sure you've known well about him for years, considering your involvement in, uh, sports journalism, let's say....'

'...and ma'am, with that I can provide you plenty and everything. The articles, written by many of my colleagues, are indeed correct in that Dr. Seo-Hovington, the man the Doctor himself knows very well, is an interesting figure. He's very good reading the crowd and making friends, and that's particularly why he's well-liked by those of the Parliament. Arsene Kim and Helene Joncas (leader of PQ, the centre-right opposition party) have both written a recommendation letter for him when this appointment came after all.' He emphasised the mentions of Kim and Joncas, perhaps too much, to suggest how touchy of a subject this can get.

'And he's going to make sure that his organisation will succeed and get whatever they want. I know you don't personally know her, but what made Myeong-Yoon end up at Queen's College? You have to think that this is where her rival as a national team setter, and future sister-in-law, Naomi Goldbloom was the all-Quebecois setter with two more years of college eligibility, and her mother died tragically in a car accident.'

'Probably under the promise that she would be the next Riley Jeon-Keane, in really putting the school name on the board. We are talking about the country where they still talk about Allison Dubois-Riley Jeon-Keane rivalry as the point of origin for the Quebecois women's basketball's boom. There's no better fodder than your friend, Miss Heo, to go there and follow her footsteps.'

'That is precisely it, ma'am, for he used the influence of two figures important to my friend,' Asher nodded. 'One of them's Riley Jeon-Keane, of course, since she's the Erskine Collegiate alumna herself. But the other actually was her father, the very Professor Heo we had back at St. Croix, who always held Dr. Seo-Hovington fondly dating back to the national team days. That's also why he was fond to my uncle as well, for Dr. Heo was the first superstar Brock Andreas had coached.'

He coughed twice, before continuing, 'And that's where his strengths and weaknesses lie. As an athletics director, and also the Basketball Quebec President, Dr. Seo-Hovington has been impeccable with what he knows he's very good at.' He then turned his head to the left, pointing to 'In Retrospective to' article. 'But where he's actually been impossibly weak at was controlling those under him, especially if he does not put much responsibility of his own there. There have been incidents, ones that Myeong-Yoon and Mrs. Goldbloom-Heo have personally told me, and the ones also disclosed by my uncle. I cannot say them personally, due to the reasons that's to do with protecting my wife, but you may have better luck asking someone close to us, who actually works under the Royal Household by the duality of his position.'

'Professor Heo?' She looked back at him, and suddenly everything had made sense. The world that seemed so distant and disconnected in the minds of those not native to this country had made intricate sense all this time. By the sheer virtue of personal connections and merits that were tied to them. 'You are saying that the Chief of the Royal Archives, the man who directs The Veritable Records of the Quebec and Shingoryeo, would be the best bet for this.'

'Yes,' answered Asher with full confidence. 'And it is of your best interest, even if our words exchanged here don't make much difference, to ask him. At the very worst he'll be loyal to you, and at the very best he will give you just about enough, to suggest what could possibly happen the next moment.'

[Abanhfleft]

In commemoration of the 12th anniversary of Abanhfleft's first and so far only title in the International Basketball Championships, Crescent News Network Sports Channel a five-episode documentary television series that seeks to shine the spotlight on the lives of the five players who started most often for the Abanhfleft Rebolusyonaryos. Take a rare behind-the-scenes look on the careers of Dylan Kapowski, Boris Barry, Jan Harris, Newton Isaacs, and Leo Baxter in this new series titled Biography: IBC 21.

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Biography: IBC 21

Chapter I: Dylan Kapowski

Part Five: Unloveable

At the time, I had no idea, no inkling at all about Newt’s opioid addiction. I didn’t even have any suspicions whatsoever! Well, I certainly didn’t have any suspicions at the start. But there were times when I would pay Newt a visit at the team doctor’s office after he got injured and he would seem very chipper, like he’d never been injured at all. And his mind was just all over the place. I’d try to talk to him and Newt would immediately go on a wild tangent, and it was just an effort to try to keep up with him mentally. But I figured, no big deal. Maybe that was just Newt’s way of going through the pain. But some of the things he said back then were kinda suspicious if I do say so myself. Like, they were way out there to have come from the mind of someone who’s sober and clean! But I didn't pay attention to it. It's like the mind has this filter where it ignores everything that's out of place, so long as there's a reasonable explanation for why it's out of place. Like, if Newt had been sat there rambling about the end of Western civilization then I'd have probably said something. But all he was talking about was things like buying this ranch out in the Markovsky boonies for his folks or what color SUV he was gonna buy for his little sister, that kind of stuff. So I thought nothing of it.

Then one night—like, right in the middle of the night, I'm talking about the absolute dead of night here, like, two in the morning—I get a call. It's from Newt. At first, I didn't even realize someone was calling me because I was that deep asleep. And then it took me a few more seconds to find my phone, and then a few more seconds to answer. I couldn't even understand what the fuck Newt was talking about because I was literally half-asleep. And then when I finally heard what he was saying, I completely forgot about sleeping. I will never forget what I heard from Newt that night. He had this low raspy voice, completely different from his normal voice. He was breathing shallow, and he didn't sound like he could string words together coherently. But there were two words that I could hear, and to this day I will never ever forget them. To my dying day, I will hear those words. I still get the goosebumps just thinking about them. See? Anyway, the words that I could hear from Newt were "Help… me…"

Man, I literally shot out of bed when I heard that. I didn't even bother getting dressed, I think. I just went straight for my car still wearing a wifebeater and boxer shorts and just rushed to Newt's place. Good thing I've already been there a few times so I knew the way. And when I got to Newt's place… Man, the place was just such a mess, like someone had turned the place over twice and then turned it once more just for good measure. And right in the middle of all that chaos was Newton Isaacs, still as a rock. I just went right for him and tried to wake him up. I was slapping him, holding him up, doing whatever I can to help him. Newt helped me when it looked like I was not gonna have a team two seasons ago, so it was just right for me to help him too. I didn't have to do CPR on him, thank God, but Newt did give me a right good scare during those few minutes when he was passed out. And then Newt finally came to, and he just started crying like a baby. He was crying and he was also telling me everything that's happened that led him to this point. And I just sat there and listened, which was probably the thing that Newt needed most at the time. He said a lot of things to me that I'd rather keep to myself right now, but if he wants to talk about it on his own time then he's definitely free to do that! Anyway, after Newt just plain opened up to me, he asked me if I could have his back, help him through this period in his life and make sure that he didn't slip up. Because he had been trying so, so many times to get himself out of his addiction but he always went right back to it because he didn't have anyone else around to stop him.

For the next year and a bit, I was almost inseparable from Newton. We went to games together, we were on the same bus or the same plane; heck, sometimes we even slept in the same hotel room! That really got the rumor mills going, and I'm not talking about silly season here. That's just part and parcel of having these good looks sometimes. You get linked to anyone and everyone, and sometimes the gender doesn't even matter! People don't care that I'm already married; when the reports and paparazzi pictures of me staying in the same room as Newt, they claimed that we were this secret gay couple. Now I've got nothing against gays. Let me make that clear. All I'm saying is that I'm not gay, and neither is Newton. That hasn't stopped the fan mail from coming though. And I'm not talking about just emails, I'm talking about actual legit paper and pen snail mail too! And I already got a ton of fan mail from the LGBTQ+ community even before I started staying in the same hotel room as Newt Isaacs, so you can only imagine how much the fan mail increased when the rumors started spreading. But no, despite what everyone else thinks, the only reason why I sometimes stayed and slept in the same hotel room as Newt Isaacs was because he wanted me to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't drown in his own vomit or choke on his own tongue. That's all that there was to it. Nothing more, nothing less. As the song goes, Mahirap ang maging pogi!

I watched Newt like a hawk as much as I could for as long as I could. But a man can only do so much before he slips up and lets his friend slip up too. When it happens, it's just the same thing over and over again, having to clean up after Newt after another one of his drug-addled binges and making sure he doesn't die in the middle of his sleep because of something stupid like swallowing his own tongue or something like it. For the first six months, it was like I was on autopilot. I was helping him get through most days without hitting the stuff, but every time he slipped up and jumped off of the wagon once again, I would just pick him up and put him back on without much complaint. I could have stopped him but for some reason, I didn’t. And then I think the straw that finally broke the camel’s back was this moment when Newt was passed out once again, and I went to get some water from his refrigerator while waiting for him to wake up, and when I opened the fridge, I saw a whole row of bottles of morphine. I’m talking about medical-grade morphine here, man! And like I said, this was the final straw. I walked right back to Newt’s bedroom and, without even waiting for him to wake, just slapped him silly. Like, it was a real proper slap to the face! Not a backhanded bitch slap, but a full frontal assault with the palm of my hand! And I just exploded and gave him what for. I told Newt that I was finally tired of cleaning up after all of his messes, of him asking for my help but not accepting it anyway, and of me just shrugging it off because I thought one of these days he was finally going to get out of it on his own. I told Newton that he was a pathetic sack of shit and that I was tired of being his enabler.

And I guess some of the anger that I was feeling transferred itself to the other people in my life. The biggest thing that I could remember during that part of my life was the fact that I was just cranky and basically snapping at other people, even my wife and my kids. I guess I was just pissed off at Newt. Here he was, the freaking leader of this basketball team and a man who literally broke his own body in the service of his country, and he’s acting like a bloody spoiled kid and crying like a little bitch when I told him what the fuck was wrong with him. I really hated to go off on Newton like that because he’s my friend, but sometimes you gotta tell your friend what they’re doing wrong and where they’re going astray because if not, how could you even call yourself his friend?

I was also angry at myself because from the moment I called Newton out on his stupidity, I also realized that I was pretty much stupid myself. I had this golden opportunity to finally set this fellow human being on the right path, and for six months, I didn’t do jack about it. I guess that’s why I was angry, and why I was just snapping at people left and right. Michelle took the brunt of it because she was the person who was around me most often, with Newton being a close second. But I never told her anything about what I was doing with Newt when I was off helping him out, not a single thing. All I ever let her know was that I was helping Newton deal with some stuff in his life, and to her credit, Michelle was actually fine with it. Little did I know that was actually the beginning of the end for the two of us. Oh, if only I’d known…

I finally convinced Newton to get some actual help with regards to his addiction, but I also told him that I couldn’t spend every moment of the day that I wasn’t training or practicing with the team to help him along. I was spending more and more of my free time keeping track of Newt and making sure that he was actually following his programs and keeping away from the coke. I was drifting away from my own family, which is funny in a dark sort of way because while Michelle and I were drifting further and further apart, I was actively encouraging Newton to find himself someone who can keep him on the straight and narrow. And it’s especially ironic that it was around the time that Newt finally met Yelena that Michelle and I realized that this was no way to keep a relationship going. To this day, I still regret that we ever let ourselves grow apart because I just felt that our love was perfect back in those early days. I always thought that Michelle was the woman I was going to grow old with, but sadly, that wasn’t the case. The last thing that I remember that she said to me before she finally filed for a divorce was, “I just wish that you would be around for us for as long and as often as you’re around for your friend.” That sentence still never fails to make me feel a lot of regret for what I could have done, should have done to save both my friend and my marriage.

[Graintfjall]

1 kr. =~ 0.8 NS$

What does the Budget mean for you? Winners and losers

After months of negotiations, Prime Minister Zóphonías Juliusson and Finance Minister Bella Leonardsdóttir have announced that they are ready to move the Budget Bill through the Thing, with whips reporting a majority of MTs will vote Yes. This would mark the full Budget passed by the Left-slate/Progressive Liberal coalition government, which has previously been unable to secure a Budget deal and relied on so-called Continuations, which roll over the previous year’s budget with only minor amendments. If passed, it would be the first Left-slate Budget – Juliusson having been unable to pass a full Budget during his first term as Prime Minister – and the first by any left-wing government of Græntfjall since the communist regime fell. The Harbinger breaks down who stands to gain from the Budget – and who will end up paying more.

WINNERS

Public sector workers

An above-inflation pay offer that exceeds even the wildest demands of the public sector unions shows that the members’ cash they’ve been ploughing into lobbying has been well spent. After years of tight fiscal discipline, this government plans to open up the coffers to pay teachers, healthcare workers, police and fire services, and of course the vast corps of administrators, perhaps the solidest Left-slate voting bloc, with a new wage scale that will place more than 30% of administrative staff in the healthcare system in the top earning bracket. While Leonardsdóttir claimed the deal would end the “shame” of care workers and teaching assistants earning just minimum wage, they will make up a relatively small portion of a spending promise that looks set to exceed 13 billion kr. a year. This comes on top of a restructuring of the public sector pension scheme with more beneficial COLAs and the government increasing its contribution. There is to be an increase in the taper rate that withdraws pension payments for those take on additional private employment, but it’s a very small fly in a very large tub of ointment.

Working parents

A particular passion project of Foreign Minister and Progressive Liberal leader Kaija Michaelsdóttir – herself the daughter of a single mother – the government’s long awaited reforms to childcare aim to bring down the cost of childcare, which now stands at an average of 5,000 kr. a year per child. Government funded early intervention centers based on models observed on her tour of Esportiva will provide pre-school, breakfast clubs, parenting classes, and health clinics. For working parents, there is to be a new system of paid parental leave, which can be flexibly distributed between mother and father, for up to 12 weeks. The opposition has criticized the scheme as a return to “state control of parenting”, but the policies have polled extraordinarily well; a Blue-Green amendment succeeded in cutting funding for a “baby box” program, which would have distributed a box with basic supplies to every new child, but otherwise the majority of the planned reforms announced two years ago look set to be fully funded.

Fourth Industrial Revolution companies

Another Michaelsdóttir pet project, the Fourth Industrial Revolution Research & Development Tax Credit will provide indexed expensing of investment costs and equipment purchases for companies working in trendy new business sectors such as biosciences, cloud computing and “big data”, green energy, and satellite technology. Quantum computing startup TeXXoComp said the R&D tax credit promised to be a “game changer” for investing in the “economy of tomorrow”. The tax credit represents a clear win for the Progressive Liberals; traditionally the party of old industry, some Left-slate backbenchers have grumbled about the “trendy” nature of the scheme, and a cross-party rebellion succeeded in bringing down the total cap available.

Diversity educators

Following years of negative reports on the state of diversity in Græntfjaller business, the 2021 race riots, and the rise of the NDF, the Left-slate have struck back with an ambitious funding scheme called “Spectrum”. All companies with more than 50 employees (up from 10 in the original proposal, thanks to a compromise worked out to defeat an NDF wrecking amendment that would have pushed the number over that of the largest employer in the country, the Græntfjaller Health Service) will have to make provisions for mandatory workplace diversity training. Universities and even schools will further provide lessons in so-called ‘critical kraken theory’. Rainbowfjall, one of the companies that provides “structured outreach, sensitity and inclusion experiences” (and which is owned and operated by the brother of the current Education Minister) has already announced multiple contracts of over 10 million kr. “It promises to be a big pay day for a group of people determined to teach Græntfjallers to hate themselves,” warned NDF leader of the opposition Sigjón Þjóðbjörnsson.

High finance

Unexpected beneficiaries of the most left-wing budget free Græntfjall has ever seen include those in investment banking, private equity, and hedge funds, who have avoided most of the tax rises the Left-slate campaigned on. Promising to “take the battle to the Vegg Street fat cats”, Zóphonías Juliusson has always portrayed himself as a crusader against high finance. In another sign that Kaija Michaelsdóttir’s winter ultimatum for Nyowani Kitara has won her the biggest seat at the negotiating table, however, most of the targeted tax plans lie in ruins, most notably the promised financial transactions tax which economists had warned would “end” Vegg Street. “It’s been a near total retreat,” said financial analyst Ásgeir Þorvarðsson. “There’s a general increase in the top rate of taxation, of course, so it’s not all good. But the kind of targeted measures we were worried would scare away businesses altogether seem to have got lost in the pile.” The financial industry consortium OMINOUS described the Budget as a “very welcome sign of moderation”.

LOSERS to follow in Pt. 2…

Also in the paper:

• SPECIAL BUDGET EDITORIAL: A radical power grab that threatens to turn the economy back decades
• NEWS: Bitter weather continues late into spring, raising fears about conditions in refugee camps
• HEALTH: New anti-cancer drug passes clinical trials, scientists continue to urge caution
• LIFESTYLE: Spring fling? Get into shape this spring with the dance craze sweeping the nation
• SPORT: 25 point game for Fossmarsson helps Super Wolves crush United Adaikes

[Hannasea]

Article posted on the sports blog Hamster Hangout.

Unexpected undefeated run increases public interest in basketball team

Hannasea’s unexpectedly strong start in IBC qualifying, including a famous win over world #2 ranked TJUN-ia, has given basketball – hitherto something of a minority sport behind baseball and field hockey – a major popularity boost. Figures show average viewing figures, including streaming, up more than 10% from IBC32; a viral clip of a putback slam dunk by small forward Tom Powell was the #4 most viewed video in the country yesterday (behind two cute cat videos and an obnoxious reaction video from a games streamer who is annoying and talentless but has big tits). It’s a welcome surge of attention for a previously marginal sport.

After the excitement of a solid playoff run in IBC32, Hannasean basketball stumbled a little with a weak showing by HBA clubs in the IUBC, and the Coffee Ministry’s decision not to send a basketball team to the Sporting Festival being hosted alongside the Campianato Esportiva 31 was a further blow. But Hannaseans love to back a winner, and each victory has raised attention. The team has benefitted from the inclusion of bigger domestic names who had previously spurned selection, such as Jude Cook, Ryan Black and Nathan Shapiro, while some national team players who were once considered relative HBA lightweights, such as Powell and Nate Evans, have become leading league stars. Tickets for the remaining home qualifying schedule have sold out.

According to coach Nick Davidson, the attention is welcome. “It does add to the pressure to perform, but, that’s something we can use as motivation,” he said. “We’ve put together 5 wins and we’d love to add another 5 in the second half, but even if we can’t keep the perfect record alive, we now stand an excellent chance of qualifying and I hope the public keep supporting us on the road to Quebec and Bollonich.” He added one note of caution, that the “highlights reel plays” such as slam dunks and chasedown blocks that were earning a lot of attention on social media “weren’t too reflective” of the important fundamentals that he wanted the team to continue to employ.

What’s in a name? Team considers public poll on nickname

The Lions, the Jaguars, the Dragonflies, the Grim Reapers, the Stars, the… Hannasean men’s national basketball team? As nicknames go, Hannasea’s doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Especially when compared to the more iconic Hamsters of Hannasean rugby and Black Sticks of Hannasean hockey. As such, the team are said to be considered asking the public what they think they should be called, both as a means of increasing public engagement, and reflecting the democratic traditions of a country that has always enjoyed a good election.

The racial make-up of the Hannasean team – ten white players and two black – has made the various ‘Black’ nicknames common to other Hannasean teams, such as the Black Sticks in hockey and Black Butterflies in soccer – a touch uncomfortable. Those nicknames are based on the traditional Hannasean kit color, black, and it’s a similar uniform the basketball team plays in. Perhaps ironically, it’s the presence of black players that makes the nickname awkward; while Hannasean teams in most sports entirely comprise white players (just seven of more than 200 Hannasean representatives at the Olympics have been non-white; no non-white player has ever played for the national baseball team) reflecting a country with a huge white majority, the basketball team has a rate of representation that vastly exceeds national demographics. (Or perhaps that’s not ‘ironically’; tbh I have never understood what irony really is and listening to Alanis Morrisette for research has been completely unhelpful.–Ed.)

As such, the team has shied away from the various informal names already suggested – such as the ‘Black Bombers’ and ‘Black Falcons’ – and instead gone for options including the Hoop Hamsters, the Pretty Cool Dogs (Hannasea’s national animal, the pretty cool dog, is a breed recognized only in the Guild Federation), and, for inexplicable reasons, the Sardines. The poll is set to be run online over the second half of qualifying.

[Ardengard]

Outsider

“Pass the ball Hector! Pass the ball!”
Hector shot instead, his team got 3 points. The next instruction he received was half an hour later.

College had revealed Hector to the world. In his very first game, he showed that he was the guy everyone needed to beat, he was to be taken seriously. Come next season and he had a stable contract with a top domestic side. He got to surprise everyone again, becoming one of the most talked about players in the competition. With the state of basketball in Ardengard, he thought that was it. He had hit the peak and needed to keep it flat like a plateau now. Then the ABF was announced and that Ardengard would have a national team representing them in the IBC. All players were eager to impress, most of all Hector. He was young and inexperienced. He had to put on a great show if he was to make it to the team. Unfortunately, his second season was underwhelming. Position wise, he was all over the place; shots at points were off target and consistency was, to be polite, bleak. Therefore, when he was announced as a member of the national side, everyone – including him – was truly puzzled. Hector didn’t waste much time dwelling on it, however. He recognized that the universe, or more likely the ABF, had given him an opportunity against all odds – and he was not throwing it away. What followed was rigorous training and months spent at the court and the gym.

When Hector first met the rest of the team, he felt somewhat out of place. These guys had spent years playing basketball in the same tournament, most of them knew each other well. But he only knew them by name or by stats he’d seen when he had to play against them. First few days of team training, he trained alone. One day, all of a sudden, his captain called him over.
“You don’t need to train along you know, train with others. It’s better.”
“I don’t know anyone else.”
“You don’t?”
Nikida then went around the room and introduced everyone. After going through all of them he said “But you already know their names don’t you?”
Hector nodded.
“Right… You see Elijah over there? You know what you should get him for Christmas? Socks.”
Instantly a wave of laughter swept across the room.
Unsure what the joke was, Hector said “What… why socks?”
“Trust me, just get them then you’ll see.”

Like that, Nikida went around making fun of everyone else, well, barring a few. Though Hector didn’t expect that to change anything, it made him more comfortable there. He started taking part in the team of team training. For that, as well as the numerable examples of leadership Nikida had displayed, he had great respect for his captain. He had always looked up to him as a player, but now as a person and, he hoped, a friend.

But he still didn’t have a proper person to hang out with. Sure, he didn’t feel like an alien anymore, but there was still something missing. Al Pine helped to solve that.
“Feel like an outsider?”
“Yeah.”
“I know what that’s like.”
“You’re the one who beat one of the Rangers aren’t you?”
“Ha. Want a coffee?”

And this began his first true friendship in the team. He and Al shared a lot of common ground, it helped them to come closer together. He learn fast (thankfully not the hard way) that Al had a quick temper, but also learnt how to cool it down. If he ever had a friend he could, without doubt, call ‘his best friend’ Al was not far off.

So when his closest friend lashed back at the captain he respected so much, and the latter did the same to the former – he really wasn’t sure what to feel.

Slowly and steadily, Hector got to his feet.

He approached the two and put his hand on Al’s shoulders.

[Valentine Z]

The Valentians – Chapter 3 – The Big Fall.

As the old saying goes: The bigger they are, the harder they fall. It still applies to the Valentians, though at a bit of a reduced rate. They were not always bounded by the Square-Cube Law, and thus are possible of moves here and there that would have theoretically torn the tendons, bones, and everything from a non-Valentian who is the same size as theirs. Still, that does not mean that the Valentians are strangers to the usual pitfalls and slapsticks that happens to others. In fact, the Valentians are the ones who embraced the wonders of slapstick comedy, and can appreciate a good routine, and that includes in an international event.

With a score of 50-54, the Valentians were on a tight leash as they tried to anticipate the moves of the Lions who are half their heights. It went along well for the first half of the game, with Gwen cheering and giving the players on the bench a high-five and words of encouragement, as well as clapping for the players in the field. It is a tight score, but if the Valentians played their offensives well and scored as many as they could, this would surely be a game that they can take home with a victory. Besides, it IS in their own stadium and basketball court, they have a degree of home field advantage even with shortened basketball hoops and shrunken court in order to accommodate and conform to the IBC regulations. The Valentians played well, they played fair, they shoot, they tried to score.

If the Valentians do not obey the Square-Cube Law and maybe a few laws of physics here and there, they soon realised that another law is still in full effect.

Murphy's Law.

As they hit the 2/3rd of the match, Novokshonova was once again readying up for her aim, trying to get that perfect 3-pointer as she always wont to do. However, what she did not account for was Yuri who was tackling and stopping the Lions from getting near Novokshonova. In the process, Yuri slipped onto the floor, followed by stumbling and gaining a few feet towards Novokshonova. "조심해! 조심해!" Yuri yelled, but no avail. Unfortunately, they did not have a leeway of "a few feet."

SMACK! THUMP! Owwwoww...

A timeout was given in order to tend to the possibly injured Valentians. The whole court and stadium fell silent, though that was less of due to the injuries, and moreso because of how loud that was. "Holyyyy cow, it shook the whole place!" one of the commentators shouted out, whilst expressing concern for Yuri and Novokshonova. It might take a while for the two of them to reconcile. Maybe they would have some sort of a grudge, some sort of anger against one another. Being embarrassed and hurt in front of the international sports events, this was a bit too serious.

"Oh dear, are you all right?" Novokshonova started out first, getting up and lifting up Yuri.

Yuri was clutching her head with one hand, "I'm fine, thanks! Oh my goodness, I am so very sorry! Sorry, that was my fault!" she started stumbling and speaking, stunned from the experience and from the trauma of the impact and fall. Novokshonova simply nodded and patted her teammate and friend as she got her up, the two of them simply walking up slowly and limping towards the medical bench with Klarke waiting for them.

"Don't worry. It's okay, yeah? Ahhh, that hurt. Accidents happen, please don't fault yourself too much. I should have watched my surroundings too," she shrugged off her pain as she continued on, "We should watch the replays though. Must be such a slapstick."

All is forgiven. ♥ Novokshonova suffered a small sprain on her ankles, while Yuri got a minor concussion, to which Klarke will need 2 matchdays to patch them up.

Valentian Players for the next matches (until another change is made) - 1st players in field, 2nd sub after 1st is out, 3rd sub after 2nd is out.

Point Guards:
- 1st: #20 - Hayes Jayden Wakayoshi Jaime Aubrey Tamotsu  - M - 13' 10"    / 421.6 cm - 31 - Sendai, Japan, Vostrov, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
- 2nd: #71 - Marley Aaliyah Lena Annabelle Ava Hodges     - F - 13' 9"     / 419.1 cm - 26 - Seattle, Washington, United States of America, Voorzichtigheid, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
- 3rd: #50 - Nathan Samara Caldwell Juan David Yepes      - M - 13' 11"    / 424.2 cm - 29 - Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, Alanis Star, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z

Shooting Guards
- 1st: #31 - Damian Cohens Nik Linn Aung Khaing Htun      - M - 13' 10.5"  / 422.9 cm - 33 - Naypyithaw, Burma, Region of Valentine Z
- 2nd: #10 - Ada Roos Baston Sabot Dieneke Vondermans     - F - 14' 0"     / 426.7 cm - 28 - Groningen, Netherlands, Victoriaans Nederlands, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
- 3rd: #7  - Novokshonova Adeliya Anna Konstantinovna     - F - 13' 9.5"   / 420.4 cm - 32 - Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia, Region of Valentine Z

Small Forward
- 1st: #8  - Awenasa Panola Samantha Markus Cervantes     - F - 13' 8.75"  / 418.5 cm - 28 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States of America, Voorzichtigheid, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
- 2nd: #6  - Cameron Diana Wendy Anderson Fu Guan Ting    - M - 13' 11"    / 424.2 cm - 30 - Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Vostrov, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
- 3rd: #5  - Rowan Sammy Prapawit Krita W. Shinawatra     - M - 13' 8.5"   / 417.8 cm - 24 - Udon Thani City, Udon Thani Province, Thailand, Region of Valentine Z

Power Forward
- 1st: #13 - Sípos Celine Horváth Melinda D. Szimonetta   - F - 14' 1"     / 429.3 cm - 35 - Nyíregyháza, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Hungary, Region of Valentine Z
- 2nd: #96 - Rossa Serena Vic Rosângela Chaves Hamamura   - F - 13' 11.5"  / 425.5 cm - 27 - Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, Alanis Star, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
- 3rd: #22 - Matthew Hridaya Deevash Mithilesh Siwakoti   - M - 14' 0"     / 426.7 cm - 34 - Birgunj, Parsa, Nepal, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z

Center
- 1st: #55 - Antenor Pascal Waleed Zaghlool al-Harroun    - M - 14' 4"     / 436.9 cm - 33 - Madaba, Madaba Governorate, Jordan, Region of Valentine Z
- 2nd: #0  - Bailey Kendrick Sophia Linde Hồ Ngọc Ðoàn    - M - 14' 3"     / 434.3 cm - 30 - Hanoi, Red River Delta, Vietnam, Region of Valentine Z
- 3rd: #41 - Yuri Anastasia Catherine Moire Mok Jung-Won  - F - 14' 2"     / 431.8 cm - 29 - Daejeon, Hoseo, South Korea, Vostrov, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff, Matchday 6 - Bollonischian Half

---

Group A
Rick Perry 58–72 Valanora
Brookstation 54–77 Sarzonia
Bollonich 75–66 Hebitaka

P Group A                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Sarzonia                  6    6   0   478  421  +57
2 Valanora                  6    5   1   513  402 +111
3 Bollonich                 6    4   2   456  419  +37
4 Brookstation              6    2   4   428  481  −53
5 Hebitaka                  6    1   5   423  470  −47
6 Rick Perry                6    0   6   381  486 −105

Group B
Essena 59–96 TJUN-ia
StrayaRoos 77–98 Hannasea
Pemecutan 70–75 Trolleborg

P Group B                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Hannasea                  6    6   0   530  429 +101
2 TJUN-ia                   6    5   1   525  372 +153
3 Trolleborg                6    3   3   469  463   +6
4 Pemecutan                 6    2   4   421  468  −47
5 Essena                    6    2   4   421  533 −112
6 StrayaRoos                6    0   6   423  524 −101

Group C
The Orion Islands 69–97 Græntfjall
United Adaikes 78–79 Nova Anglicana
Valentine Z 79–60 Kohnhead

P Group C                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Græntfjall                6    5   1   543  428 +115
2 Nova Anglicana            6    5   1   444  395  +49
3 Valentine Z               6    4   2   475  426  +49
4 United Adaikes            6    2   4   443  441   +2
5 The Orion Islands         6    1   5   408  532 −124
6 Kohnhead                  6    1   5   405  496  −91

Group D
Moliza 51–83 Chromatika
Ardengard 66–93 Mytanija
Southwest Eastnorth 65–55 Crystal Empire

P Group D                 Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Chromatika                6    5   1   498  398 +100
2 Mytanija                  6    5   1   526  437  +89
3 Ardengard                 6    4   2   460  477  −17
4 Southwest Eastnorth       6    2   4   429  462  −33
5 Crystal Empire            6    1   5   447  463  −16
6 Moliza                    6    1   5   403  526 −123

[Nova Anglicana]

-Click-

"-a complete disgrace! It's an embarrassment, is what it is."

Eric Lloyd had turned on the TV to StateSports1 just in time to catch Sean Stevens ranting. He sighed. Stevens got fired up a lot, sure, and it was fun to listen to some of his takes, but the constant ranting was just annoying. A graphic below Stephens flashed, "Lions escape United Adaikes, 79-78". So that was it. They'd only won by one point.

"Yes, they needed a last-second jumper by Jimmy Haynes to pull their chestnuts out of the fire tonight, and that's bad. But the fact of the matter is, Lions basketball has been on a decline for a while now. People want to blame Lawrence Roberts, they even want to blame Raymond Guidry. It's not just one coach and it's not about tonight; it's the whole Nova Anglicana basketball program. They are not prepared and have not done enough to keep this group in shape to take on the best in the multiverse. Take a look at the last several Olympics; have there been any Lions competing? No, there haven't been. And it's these sorts of games that give players nightmares. Because for every game you win on a Haynes jump shot, there are two more you lose on a blocked layup, like against Græntfjall."

Eric snorted. The Lions were 5-1, what was the worry? Stevens just needed something to complain about. It was his security blanket.

"With the amount of money that goes into the NABA and with the extra investments the Sub-ministry of Sport has pumped into sports recently, you can't defeat an unranked team by more than one? Oh, people say it's a tough place to play. Bullcrap. Græntfjall won by 24 there. Kohnhead won by one. To me, that says we're more like Kohnhead than the Snow Wolves, and that should scare us. Furthermore, we're 5-1, but two of those wins have come by a combined four points against an unranked opponent. And two more of those have been thirteen-point slopfests. This isn't pretty basketball, it's not the pace-and-space elegance we were promised and have come to expect."

Eric was about to turn off the television when the other host asked, "So what should we do about it?" He had to watch this. Stevens always had BS criticism, it would be fun to see him put on the spot and have to give solutions.

"Take a look at Græntfjall. They've got a ten-year plan after coming up short before. Banija's got a ten-year plan, and they've won multiple IBCs in a row. Heck, Valanora has a thousand-year plan to deal with disappointment. There has to be sustained, purposeful co-operation between the NABA and the national team to get players experience and to get them comfortable with high-level competition. We have been extremely sloppy so far and are incredibly lucky to be 5-1. But if we keep playing this way, some top-10 team is going to wipe the floor with us in the playoffs."

Eric clicked the TV off. The Lions could be 6-0 if it weren't for a blocked shot. He didn't deny that a one-point win over an unranked team looked bad, but a win was a win. He'd take the playoffs after that disappointing group stage in Chromatika.

[Ko-oren]

Update halfway

Drawkland prevailed in the David vs Goliath meeting, proving that the bible parable described a once in a million situation after all. 93-77. That means we did do a decent job, but with energy levels dropping, accuracy diminishing, we eventually were Drawk's fifth win. What does that mean going forward? Well, thankfully, we have a fantastic way of checking where everything is going. Especially that three-way tie at the bottom at 1-4 must be broken in some way, and some teams are looking better than others despite the 1-4 record.

Drawkland is expected to hit 9 wins - which makes you wonder who is to trip them up for their only loss. Every great team has a bad day some day, but I can't see them go anything other than 10-0. Ko-oren is expected to keep up their incredible streak for eight wins in total. The Dragonflies have looked untouchable at times in the first half of the group stage, miraculously, after going 3-13 in the previous IBC. To see that the four wins are sustainable enough (which means "by a large enough margin") that the formula thinks we can keep this up for another four wins is great news. Then there's somewhat of a gap, and we find that Indusse should go 4-1 in the remaining games to end up at 5-5. It's a damn shame Indusse dropped to 1-4 in the first place, at a point differential of -5 even, and they're due to bounce back up. That means they'll overtake the currently 3-2 Magnecia, who have had a good opening half (including a win over Indusse), but are expected to go back to 4-6 at the end. Kriegiersien, despite the rank and history advantage, are predicted to stay as bad as they have been, at 2-8. Arztotzka might go 0-5 for a total record of 1-9, as few will doubt.

It's odd to see the Dragonflies among the contenders for a group win. If we can be the ones to beat Drawkland on matchday 10, that's a victory for this IBC already. It's also not out of the ordinary to see us go 2-3 or 3-2 after the 4-1 start - we might have had five great games, but are we really that much better than in IBC 32? On the plus side, we have double the experience since then...

[Bollonich]

Matchday 6 Cutoff, Quebec Half

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Group E
The Andorian Systems 71–71 Quebec and Shingoryeo (78–88 OT)
Pyazhnaya 69–81 Equestria
Juvencus 65–86 HUElavia

  Group E                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                  6    5   1   530  418 +112
2 Equestria                              6    4   2   503  448  +55
3 HUElavia                               6    3   3   464  455   +9
4 Juvencus                               6    3   3   439  467  −28
5 The Andorian Systems                   6    3   3   456  490  −34
6 Pyazhnaya                              6    0   6   400  514 −114

Group F
Democratic Republic of Arztotzka 84–90 Drawkland
Ko-oren 76–74 Indusse
Magnecia 91–82 Kriegiersien

  Group F                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD
1 Drawkland                              6    6   0   509  444  +65
2 Ko-oren                                6    5   1   474  430  +44
3 Magnecia                               6    4   2   451  452   −1
4 Indusse                                6    1   5   486  493   −7
5 Kriegiersien                           6    1   5   411  452  −41
6 Democratic Republic of Arztotzka       6    1   5   433  493  −60

Group G
Hantuonia 65–98 Banija
Gatchingerrak Union 98–87 Omerica
Annyeong Oppa 89–64 Qasden

  Group G                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD 
1 Banija                                 6    6   0   576  391 +185
2 Annyeong Oppa                          6    3   3   444  425  +19
3 Gatchingerrak Union                    6    3   3   453  485  −32
4 Omerica                                6    3   3   485  542  −57
5 Hantuonia                              6    2   4   427  493  −66
6 Qasden                                 6    1   5   438  487  −49

Group H
Japhetic 77–75 Abanhfleft
Commonwealth of Baker Park 61–75 Lisander
Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom 77–90 Hispinas

  Group H                              Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD
1 Abanhfleft                             6    5   1   513  417  +96
2 Lisander                               6    4   2   474  434  +40
3 Zeta Reka and Hügeltaldom              6    3   3   471  469   +2
4 Commonwealth of Baker Park             6    3   3   453  462   −9
5 Hispinas                               6    2   4   445  472  −27
6 Japhetic                               6    1   5   401  503 −102

[Banija]

How the national team battled its way to a second-ever regional title

CANTERLOT, EQUESTRIA- It was never going to be easy. The men's national basketball squad was up against some of the best of the best at the most recent AOBCs, shortly before the start of the International Basketball Championships. 12 teams in Atlantian Oceania, duking it out in Equestria to see which one would take home the regional title. At the last AOBCs, of course, as part of the AOlympics, Banijan basketball was shockingly defeated by Pluvia and the Saxean Isles, which had snapped a then winning streak of 41 games in all competitions. The quarterfinal defeat in Umbazi, of all places, stunned AO's basketball fans and showed the multiverse that the Lions were, indeed, beatable.

The national team, many with a bitter taste in their mouth from that tournament, went into this year's AOBCs with the full intention of winning the tournament. "The regional trophy is something that we consider to be a prestigious trophy." Coach Lavaga said. "There's plenty of basketball talent in this region, and there's something special about holding the championship when its won against all of your neighbors. Equestria's not that far, either- it's a good chance for fans to see us compete in the near abroad, against very talented teams in an exciting atmosphere. And, of course, it's a great way to prep for the IBCs- get rotations set, get players used to playing with each other again, etc... to make sure that AO's basketball participants are ready for this top-level competition."

We'll go through some of the key games and moments for this national team, as they lift the AOBC trophy for the second tournament in three cycles.

Group Stage Matchday 2- Banija takes on host nation Equestria

Now, of course, you'd think that the big matchup against the Busoga Islands would deserve its own section to start the tournament. But while the matchup between these two is always hyped, whatever the sport, the talent gap between the Busogans and the Banijans in this sport put a damper on festivities for Matchday 1 before they could ever really get going. While the Busogans jumped off to a quick 6-0 lead, with back to back threes from their point guard to start the game, we immediately launched a 16-1 run that we never looked back from. Which led us into Matchday 2- the world champions taking on the expectant host nation.

Two ancient sporting rivals, Banija and Equestria, taking each other on here in the group stages. It was a close, competitive game from the get go. Tionge dunking on a poor Equestrian center in the first minute of the game set the tone. While the offensive basketball was solid, it was a scrappy, physical contest. There wasn't much space for either side. Nobody was going to bully ball their way to the rim. Who could make shots, particularly contested shots, and who could find their footing in the mid-range game? That was what would decide this contest. And with a minute left, when this contest was tied at 73 points a piece, that is exactly what happened. Ebrahima Faye curling around a screen to catch and hit a 17 footer, to make it 75-73. And then, after a stop, Ezekiel Bullo hitting a dagger from the mid-range, fading away from about the free throw line. 77-73 with 15 seconds left was simply too much for the hosts to overcome- they'd get another lay-in, but Banijans hitting 3/4 free throws in those final seconds sealed the deal for the 80-75 victory.

Group Stage Matchday 4- The Vengeance matchup against Pluvia and the Saxean Isles

This was the game that was circled on everybody's calendars. Matchday 4- the national team taking on P&SI again, for the first time since this team knocked Banija out of the AOBCs, on home soil no less. Everybody on the team was talking about it. "Pluvia and the Saxean Isles made a great run last time." Akabueze, the team's point guard, told the press. "But I don't think it was just one and done- they showed the region, and the multiverse, that they meant business. So what if they didn't participate in the IBCs? They are a team that can still do some real damage on the international stage."

P&SI, despite their 1-2 start to this tournament, showed the Lions exactly what they were made out of. We hit them in the mouth, and they hit right back. The tournament's defending silver medalists showed that they were no slouches. Both teams were hitting big stops, but P&SI, most importantly, were making extremely important stops. And when Pluvia led 67-65, late in the fourth, with the ball, their aggression seemed to pay off. Their small forward attacked the basket, and Bullo had to contest. He was called, rightfully, for the foul- but it was the fifth for the Banijan superstar. He was sent walking. Israel Arefani went into the game to play the 2, while Faye slid down to the 3. Pluvia's SF hit both free throws, to make it 69-65.

The Lions flew down the court, looking to do something about this. After some quality ball rotation, Kizza Alanso found Israel Arefani open in the corner. Alanso hit the Hinteram Ghouls star, who drilled a three pointer in the corner. 69-68 lead for Pluvia- a one point game. 32 seconds left in the contest. The Lions would need to D up and get a stop. And the trademark 1-3-1 zone defense would come up big. Pluvia tried to run the clock down to get the dagger shot. But as soon as Pluvia's point guard passed the ball, Ebrahima Faye blitzed the passing lane to steal the ball, and race up the floor. A 2 on 1 with Akabueze against Pluvia's point guard, Faye passed it to his own point guard. Akabueze threw a lob that the Pluvia point guard had no chance of stopping, as Faye leaped high into the air to grab the ball and slam it home.

11 seconds on the clock. Pluvia out of timeouts. Their point guard flew down the court with the ball, Akabueze with him every step of the way. He threw up a heavily contested three with about five seconds left, that barely hit the rim. The rebound was tipped out to Pluvia's shooting guard, who launched a shot himself- but the shot was tipped by Kizza Alanso. Tionge grabbed the tipped basketball out of the air and threw it down the court, watching the seconds tick down to zero. In incredible, stunning fashion, the Lions got a measure of revenge for their AOlympics lose to Pluvia. "Man- one HELL of a game." Coach Lavaga told reporters in his post-game press conference. "All respect to Pluvia. They're well coached and drilled, and I see why they got a silver three years ago. Games like this- it's why the fans tune in, right?"

AOBC Championship Game- Valanora

Valanora won their first regional title at the AOlympics, defeating the previously mentioned Pluvia and the Saxean Isles the last time around to earn the crown of 'champions of Atlantian Oceania'. So defending regional champions against the defending world champions, in what was surely a hyped matchup at the Celestial Gardens in Canterlot. Both teams here with IBC caliber rosters, both placing a premium on winning this regional title. And the familiarity running deep- with Kizza Alanso, Koman Shomari, Ebrahima Faye, and Ezekiel Bullo all playing professionally in Valanora. That's four rotation players for Banija, three of them starters(all besides Shomari).

To get to this point, Banija finished the group stages at 5-0, following up the gut-wrenching one point victory over Pluvia with a defensive masterclass against Tropicorp, only allowing 56 points as the Lions coasted by 27 into the knockout stages. We blew out Mlima Kijani by 28 points in the quarterfinals, and battled with Baker Park in the semifinals. A ten point win even underscores how close this game actually was- it was a two point game with just two minutes to go. But in those last two minutes, we made plays to get buckets, and then hit our free throws at the end- while our defense clamped down and Baker Park's offense went completely cold. The 87-77 victory put Banija back into the AOBC Final, with a strident Valanora, who had just beaten the host nation, Equestria, and who also stood as the defending champions.

The first half saw a lot of Valanora's speed and quickness give them an early advantage against the Lions. They'd like to jump out- in front of passes, sprint into transition, and take advantage of their own quick passing ability to take early leads against the Lions. They kept us off balance for the majority of the first half, leading basically the whole time as we couldn't quite find our rhthym. They took a 45-40 lead into the half, although even that was somewhat misleading- Odion Ozoemena hit a halfcourt buzzer beater as time expired to end the first half, to make it just a five point game, when it should have been an 8 point game.

But the pressure's of a final are immense. It's all about those moments- who can step up in the biggest moments, when the game is on the line, to take over. And to start the third quarter, that moment came for the Banijans. IT came in the form of one of the best players in all of basketball- a man by the name of Ezekiel Bullo. A block by Tionge on the back end on the very first possesion of the third quarter led to an Ezekiel Bullo dunk, who slammed the ball home with ferocity. The next three offensive possesions by Banija were all about iso ball for their superstar. A fadeaway jumper that he hit on one possession, simply forcing his way to the basket against the much smaller Lars Berg for a contested lay-up, using his left hand to finish. He did the same thing on Banija's next possession, except this time he hit an and-1, as Ian Aadland was late sliding over to provide help. A 7-0 personal run to start the quarter by Bullo to give the Banijans a 47-45 lead.

But that run was not done. A steal by Akabueze had the Lions flying down the court on the next possesion, with the point guard finishing himself for a layup to make it 49-45. And after yet another miss by Valanora, a perfect three ball by Kizza Alanso capped off a 13-0 run to start the third quarter, forcing head coach August Andreasson to call a timeout. 52-45 to Banija at that point- and Valanora would never lead again. It's not like the game wouldn't get close- far from it. Valanora would keep pulling it close, but could never do quite enoguh to get a lead, as Banija was barely able to do enough to survive against this elite opposition. Bullo hit the dagger to make it a 5 point game in the closing seconds, the small forward finishing the championship game with 27 points.

And that's the story of Banija's run to becoming champions of Atlantian Oceania.

Other News
- The Banijan basketball team improved to 6-0 at IBC 33, with a 98-65 road win over an unranked Hantuonia, as Banija's offense retained its sizzling hot form throughout these group stages. It is about as tight of a group as it gets behind Banija, with a trio of 3-3 teams sitting in places 2-4 in group play, and a 2-4 sitting in fifth. Coach Lavaga said he was 'pleased' with the team's offensive output. The team will play its third straight road game on Matchday 7, against Omerica. A victory away to the 2nd seeds of this group would see Banija likely clinch at least a berth in the knockout stages, the first step of many goals to achieve for this Lions squad.

[Hannasea]

Pale Tennis Stadium
STRAYAROOS 77 – 98 HANNASEA
(26–28, 11–22, 19–17, 21–31)
   Pts: Lames 23   Pts: Powell 31
          Rbds: Kail 10   Rbds: Cook, Pittman 8
 Asts: Lames 6   Asts: Cook 7

There are some encouraging signs for Hannasea, who notched another win behind Tom Powell's first 30 game for the national team, 21 points for Nate Evans, and 10/8/7/2 for Jude Cook. The team shot 14-of-28 from three and 18-of-19 line. We take a deep dive to investigate some further indications that this is Hannasea's tournament:

1. Advanced statistics. There are only four 6–0 teams left: Banija, Drawkland, Sarzonia, and Hannasea. What do they all have in common? That’s right – their names all contain the letters ‘a’ and ‘n’. But Hannasea has more a’s then each of them, and more n’s, too. Clearly, Hannasea enjoys a strong numerical advantage over the competition.

2. Performing well at less than 100%. Both team co-captains, Cash Pittman and Jacques Brazier have been dealing with fitness questions. While Brazier has been dealing with an ongoing back issue, Pittman has been battling the complex and rarely understood medical condition of completely sucking ass. That Hannasea have still gone 6–0 shows that if they were playing at full fitness, they’d probably have 7 or 8 wins by now. Imagine how many they’d be winning if Mason Labranche didn’t appear to be clinically dead!

3. Performance in regionals. The recent Atlantian Oceania Basketball Championships provided further evidence of Hannasea’s strong form. Not only did the team go undefeated through the entire tournament, their strong defence conceded far fewer points, and their accurate shooting produced far fewer missed field goal attempts, than any other team involved.

4. Steals. In their most recent game, 8 out of 9 players that saw the hardwood grabbed at least 1 steal as they disrupted the Emus’ passing lanes and played tight defence. Only Ryan Black went without, but he made up for it by stealing all the towels from his hotel room.