IBC XXIX - Everything Thread

[Equestrian States]

The teams of the Royal Equestrian Basketball League (REBL) are currently looking for new players and coaches!

Regarded by some as the multiverse's top basketball league, and arguably the best semi-professional sports league in existence, the REBL is hoping to capitalize on Equestria's hosting of the 29th International Basketball Championships to attract foreign talent to the league. With 18 teams from 3 different nations in Atlantian Oceania set to participate in the league next season, including 3 new expansion teams, the REBL's scouts will be watching the IBC especially closely for potential signings.

Any players or coaches who are interested in competing in the REBL should forward the following application to the league's offices [OOC: Send me a TG or PM me on discord]:

Code: Select all

Name:
Gender:
Species:
Age:
Position:
Current Team/School:
Brief Scouting Report:
Other Info:

Applicants should be aware that, as a semi-professional sports league, a player or coach's wages may not be enough to support the pampered lifestyle some might expect. However, the league will provide any and all foreign signings with modest housing and cover travel expenses too and from their home nations. With regards to healthcare and local transportation, the existing public healthcare system in Equestria and the Crystal Empire and inexpensive public transit should keep any medical and transportation expenses to a minimum. Foreign players and coaches will also be allowed to accept sponsorship deals to supplement their income or find another part-time job in their new team's hometown.

We look forward to welcoming you all to the Royal Equestrian Basketball League next season!

---

OOC Note: Also see this post if you're interested in having players and/or coaches in the REBL.

[Valladares]

District of Metropolis, May 7^th, 2020

FROM THE DESK OF THEIR ROYAL HIGNESSES
KINGS MARCUS AND CYRUS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF VALLADARES

The Royal Government of Valladares, led by Their Royal Highnesses, Kings Marcus and Cyrus and Queens Eliana and Alexandrine, Prime Minister Jefferson Pratt and his Cabinet, the Royal Parliament of Valladares, the Supreme Court of Valladares, and the Valladar people as a whole express their deep sorrow at the loss of King Jacques IX of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, who passed away this morning in his dream. The late King as well as the mourning Royal Family, Government, and people of Quebec will be in the thoughts and prayers of the members of the Royal Family, Government, and the people of Valladares.

King Jacques IX will be always be remembered as a great leader, a man with exemplary conduct who did everything in the best interests of his subjects, leading them with a fair and calm hand. In return to that, he earned the utmost respect and love of his people, who appreciated his 31-year-long guidance throughtout periods of joy and sadness, of struggles and victories that saw the late monarch and his people close as one. He will also be remembered as a close friend and ally of the Valladar nation. Under his reign, the ties that have united the kingdoms of Valladares and Quebec for such a long time were further strenghtened, and the friendship between both nations and their peoples became stronger than ever. From the early 20th century when the first Quebecois workers arrived to Valladar lands to collaborate with our people in raising the foundations of our mighty railways, to the confirmation of the links of the royal houses of both of our nations through marriage, there is a long history being written between our nations, and Jacques IX certainly contributed a valuable grain of sand, and wrote some pages of that book with golden ink. Valladares will forever remember him with heartfelt fondness.

The funeral service for King Jacques IX will be attended by His Highness, King Cyrus as well as his wife Queen Consort Alexandrine and Prime Minister Jefferson Pratt, along with an entourage of five noblemen and women, who will be departing for Quebec tonight on the Royal Plane. During their absence, Minister of Foreign Affairs Catalina Malavón will be acting Prime Minister, all matters related to foreign affairs that might need summoning of the Sovereign Power will be handed by His Highness King Marcus, while all tasks currently performed by Queen Consort Alexandrine will be undertaken by Queen Consort Eliana until the period of mourning in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec expires. In addition to this, all Valladar flags at official buildings will be hoisted at half-mast for a period of seven days.

Last but not least, we also wish to extend our heartfelt support to Queen Christine as new monarch of Quebec, wishing her the best in this new era and this new journey she is about to undertake. May God grant her the wisdom to guide her people through these times of sorrow and grief unto prosperity, as our late friend Jacques IX would have wished.

Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.

[The Royal Kingdom of Quebec]

OOC : Submitting this for now. Will add the rest in about 30 mins.

Wick Castle, Acadie, Royal Kingdom of Quebec

It's a piece of common knowledge that little changed at Wick Castle and its estate. Situated on the northeastern tip of the Cape Breton Island, Wick Castle was probably the most isolated of five castles (Wick, Providence, Cheongsanri, Thetford and Bellevue) owned by the Royal Trust. The property began from a small gate located few hundred metres northeast of Wick station (only open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for a 8:30, 11:30 and 16:30 local mail service) and after about four kilometres of shaded forest, there stands a three kilometre long beach along the coastline. The twenty-room castle, built in 1879 with limestone by Prince Alexandre (eventual Alexandre IV of Quebec), stood at the north end of the property facing the shimmering blue water of the Atlantic Ocean, and bordering the craggy cliffsides to its north.

Within the castle, however, pace of changes became apparent as the King's passing ended the slowness that ruled both his reign and the castle.

First, the members of royal family quietly mourned for the King, as all men and women kissed the nation's father's hands, before given their opportunity to mourn in personal capacity on their quarters across the Castle. The flags were raised to half-mast for fifteen days at the Castle, while the same was done across the country for a week.

This was then followed by quiet series of procedures for both the staff and the mourners. For the staff, the procedure was simple, as in preparing for what's next. Two longtime servants, after placing a cotton ball between his upper lip and nose, bathed his body in a tub and aided the Medical Professionals in the embalming. After the procedure, which generally took around 8 hours in those days, the body was dressed in the Naval Uniform with his military medals as the Commander-in-Chief of the Quebecois Commonwealth Forces, as well as the Olympic Gold Medal won for sailing back in Novonaya and Provinsk thirteen years ago. After that, members of the Royal Household were given a rest for the day in order to dress in their courtly mourning clothes and prepare for the return to Quebec City, where the funeral were to be held in 5 days. The members of the Royal House, in the meanwhile, were left to their private capacity. Of course, the level of emotions weighing down upon them had meant that they would need time to rest, so a couple of younger royals and the Queen Mother Elizaveta did so either within the Castle or its estates. The others, in the meanwhile, quietly mourned at either the Chapel that the Anglicans and the Catholics of the Royal House shared, or on their own rooms. As with the Royal customs, they were forbidden from consuming food (but not water) until the departure of the Royal Train from the Castle, two mornings after the passing of the monarch.

---

It was around 9:30 p.m, when Queen Mother Nathalie got out of her bedroom. Still dressed in her white mourning clothes made out hemp, she walked up the staircase and opened the window to the East Terrace where the Atlantic waited her return after so long. At age 81, she was feeling weary once again at the weight of time and change, with her son passing and her granddaughter taking over. It wasn't like she wasn't prepared for this- if anything, she was even more prepared than ever because. But the feeling, the grief of losing her son before her passing, still hit her the same as it did thirty one years ago.

Perhaps this was something that Nathalie, a woman of intelligentsia origins, always had to deal with. Nathalie was twenty when she visited the castle for the first time. He was a nobleman studying history at Farrer, and her Indigenous Studies and French at the same school; the problem was that he, who used his mother's surname Noh when in school, had not told her before that he was the Crown Prince. So the surprise did not arrive until the beginning of the May, but she thought that they would spend a good weekend together to mark the end of Sophomore year, before she had to return to her place of employment in rural Northwestern Manitoba.

Unfortunately, Nathalie learned very quickly that the Royal House ran differently than most houses, and knew that they would be away from each other for most of the summer. Promises were made, with letters exchanged, midnight calls made and postcards shared to their respective entourage. One thing that she did not take account into, however, was that loneliness and duties were not something that the young Prince, unlike his father and grandfather, was ready for. By the time she received invitation to the castle one August weekend, what Nathalie thought to be a fairly normal weekend with a boyfriend, was the weekend Pierre was found overdosed in one of the rooms. She remembered how she had never felt so much shock in her life as the moment she found Pierre lying on the ground, unconscious and lost, as the guards and the medical staff rushed to her calls for help.

Since then, Nathalie knew her life was never going to be the same; with the hospitalisation came the arrival of both the King and the Queen on Royal Train. The regent and his Queen, finally seeing the mysterious girlfriend of the Crown Prince, was delighted that their elder son picked a humble, bright woman, someone he would dearly love. Of course, the rest became history. Five years later, they were quietly married at a high-profile ceremony at Wendake Abbey, a first royal marriage at an Anglican Abbey in over 40 years, and soon settled into a life of service and servitude.

The adjustment into the life in Palais Royale was not easy for the young Kingston, Ontario-Frontenac (note: they became separate provinces in 1998), native. A soft-spoken woman with excellent middle-class tastes, she found the initial move into the castle difficult even as the five years of dating the Crown Prince acclimatised her a bit more and more. Fortunately, the Royal House did her best to help out- the late Queen, Noh Chae-Ran (1936-2025), was also a middle class woman who met Sylvain IV while she was at Royal Military College Cornwall and he at Queen's College just across the river. With the royal house's support, Nathalie quickly adjusted to her new chapter of life. Sooner than later, their four children came and were welcomed into the society, where worldly adventures awaited for them abroad and holidays at home, especially the Wick Castle that the kids loved going with their grandparents.

Twenty years quickly passed and Sylvain IV died after having led the country through many upheavals of seas and mountains. Everybody was excited at the possibility of the new era under Pierre Henri IV, who was groomed admirably into the young, and his radiant Queen. Unfortunately, that's not how it happened. The King, however, did not live for long as Pierre Henri IV, who came to throne after 47 years of expectations, died from a heart attack only after 280 days into his reign, closing an era that was unable to see even a coronation. Thus came yet another period of mourning for Nathalie, who lost both her father-in-law and husband in less than a year.

Fortunately, this had also meant that Nathalie, now with her position as Queen Mother, would be able to focus more on her pre-marriage interests. Her Royal Highness, coming from a family of Jewish intelligentsia who escaped from Nazis back in early-mid 1930s, always held great interests towards indigenous-non-indigenous relations in Quebec and the Commonwealth. So, now with her son in throne and the younger siblings in boarding schools as intended, Nathalie went back to work. Over time, she took greater role as patron of arts, environmentalism and of course indigenous-settler relations, and excelled at it. So the meaning of her time at the Castle changed as her duties changed from that of the nation's (future) mother to the counsellor.

And now, the mantle was about to shake once again, as her eldest son Jacques joined her husband in eternity, and her eldest granddaughter (both by age and by succession, per Royal Successions Act of 1587) just became the Queen. She was by all means delighted that it was Christine, the brightest of her ten grandchildren (Jacques : Christine and Philippe, Alexandrine of Valladares : Laura and Maxime, Elisabeth : Heather, Honore and Harry, Laurent : Laura, Henri and Nathalie(!)). She knew the girl always had streaks of confidence found in a Jeong, but was somehow not cursed with other problematic elements of being one as well. That was a good thing, in her honest opinion, for it would mean that Christine, like her son Jacques, would at least keep the country and the Commonwealth united and in solidarity. Nathalie wasn't sure how long she was going to live, but hoped that she would be able to at least watch the young monarch succeed...

[Equestrian States]

Kriegiersien 89–78 Drawkland
North New South Wales 79–74 Laeral
Petroslovania 71–84 Lisander

  Group A                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Drawkland                       5    4   1   427  350  +77    0.800
2 Lisander                        5    4   1   442  333 +109    0.800
3 North New South Wales           5    3   2   360  410  −50    0.600
4 Petroslovania                   5    2   3   373  394  −21    0.400
5 Laeral                          5    1   4   349  382  −33    0.200
6 Kriegiersien                    5    1   4   348  430  −82    0.200

---

Juvencus 76–67 Nova Roma
Puppeted States 78–95 Kita-Hinode
Newmanistan 81–72 Trolleborg

  Group B                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Newmanistan                     5    5   0   425  348  +77    1.000
2 Kita-Hinode                     5    3   2   421  399  +22    0.600
3 Trolleborg                      5    3   2   413  389  +24    0.600
4 Puppeted States                 5    2   3   363  385  −22    0.400
5 Juvencus                        5    1   4   324  385  −61    0.200
6 Nova Roma                       5    1   4   358  398  −40    0.200

---

Free Republics 91–76 Gekkeom
Qasden 79–80 Wielka Rzesza Sealandzka
Northwest Kalactin 75–82 Pemecutan

  Group C                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Free Republics                  5    5   0   441  318 +123    1.000
2 Qasden                          5    2   3   394  381  +13    0.400
3 Northwest Kalactin              5    2   3   371  383  −12    0.400
4 Pemecutan                       5    2   3   379  414  −35    0.400
5 Gekkeom                         5    2   3   385  404  −19    0.400
6 Wielka Rzesza Sealandzka        5    2   3   336  406  −70    0.400

---

Mkabia 63–68 Welzat
Quebec 84–74 Filindostan
ZSeparatists 73–86 Chinese Congo

  Group D                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Quebec                          5    5   0   432  322 +110    1.000
2 Chinese Congo                   5    3   2   378  365  +13    0.600
3 Filindostan                     5    3   2   379  364  +15    0.600
4 ZSeparatists                    5    2   3   364  388  −24    0.400
5 Welzat                          5    2   3   361  391  −30    0.400
6 Mkabia                          5    0   5   334  418  −84    0.000

---

Southwest Eastnorth 78–84 Valladares
Delaclava 69–66 Donnacona
Banija 75–72 Equestria

  Group E                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Banija                          5    5   0   413  357  +56    1.000
2 Equestria                       5    4   1   426  346  +80    0.800
3 Valladares                      5    3   2   375  375    0    0.600
4 Delaclava                       5    2   3   347  373  −26    0.400
5 Donnacona                       5    1   4   350  388  −38    0.200
6 Southwest Eastnorth             5    0   5   356  428  −72    0.000

---

Andromeda Islands 66–63 Jeckland
Vangaziland 69–92 Crystal Empire
Vakolicci Haven & Celeria 74–70 North Quadana

  Group F                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Vangaziland                     5    4   1   428  365  +63    0.800
2 Andromeda Islands               5    4   1   380  350  +30    0.800
3 Vakolicci Haven & Celeria       5    3   2   364  361   +3    0.600
4 Crystal Empire                  5    2   3   353  369  −16    0.400
5 North Quadana                   5    1   4   351  364  −13    0.200
6 Jeckland                        5    1   4   350  417  −67    0.200

---

Preiva 76–96 Xanneria
Nouveau Quebecois 66–82 Valanora
TJUN-ia 76–91 Sarzonia

  Group G                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Valanora                        5    5   0   420  330  +90    1.000
2 Sarzonia                        5    3   2   365  340  +25    0.600
3 Xanneria                        5    3   2   386  376  +10    0.600
4 TJUN-ia                         5    2   3   351  393  −42    0.400
5 Nouveau Quebecois               5    2   3   355  364   −9    0.400
6 Preiva                          5    0   5   349  423  −74    0.000

---

HUElavia 96–82 U.S. of Nuclear Weapons
Terre Septentrionale 62–79 Abanhfleft
Cassadaigua 76–100 Devonta

  Group H                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Abanhfleft                      5    5   0   422  334  +88    1.000
2 Devonta                         5    3   2   398  383  +15    0.600
3 Cassadaigua                     5    3   2   393  405  −12    0.600
4 HUElavia                        5    3   2   407  391  +16    0.600
5 U.S. of Nuclear Weapons         5    1   4   378  404  −26    0.200
6 Terre Septentrionale            5    0   5   345  426  −81    0.000

[Northwest Kalactin]

Best Team From The Past 5 IBCs
So the best champions from the past 5 IBCs. Who really is the “best champion”? Well tonight during this rankings review we will be checking that out.

IBC 28- Drawkland
So a squad that went 2-1 in the group stage came in during an thrilling championship to crunch Vangaziland by 30. But how did they get there. Well first in the round of 16 they squeaked through against a good Kita Hinode squad. After that they took on a favorite Newmanistan squad and surprisingly took them down easily by 19. After beating the Free Republics barley by 1 point they took on the 2 time defending champions Vangiziland. In a relief for the basketball world they took out the number one team in the world, Vangiziland by 30 points an amazing feat for the team.
Place: 3rd

IBC 27- Vangiziland
In Vangizilands title defense campaign they went 9-1 in a challenging group with the Vanorian national team and Jhalpharazi. They outscored their opponents by average of 19 per game which is an amazing feat for the group they where in. In the round of 16 they faced an Alpine Union squad that they had some troubles with but eventually pulled a win out in the end. After that they played Filindostan who they easily had no trouble in getting 2 wins against. They put on a dominant performance against Banija who they would end up beating in 2 games. They played their rivals, Drawkland in the finals who again they beat in 2 games. Overall, they lost 2 games the entire tournament and showed dominance while doing it.
Place: 4th

IBC 26- Vangiziland
In Vangizilands first title out of their two they went 10-0 in the easiest group in the tournament. 10-0 teams were not a rarity that tournament with 3 of them during that tournament. Surprisingly they showed signs of weakness against a Lisander side that should’ve been relatively easy to beat. Later though, they took down the RKQ in a 10 point win. They squared off against a Free Republics side and squeaked by 6 points. Against another 10-0 team Vangiziland captured their first title out of 2 but this one was a very dominant performance. This team is considered one of the best ever and a 14-0 performance is very hard to top.
Place: 1st

IBC 25- Drawkland
In a “Group of Death” with fellow power Newmanistan, Drawkland squeaked into the wild card spot with a 7-3 record in the group stage. In the round of 16 they best the hosts Banija, who had went 10-0 during the group stage to secure a spot in the Quarterfinals against Ethane. The Ethane match proved to be relatively easy for the Drawkian side but then they got themselves a rematch with their group stage opponents, Newmanistan! This time however the Drawks took control and won a game by 13 points that they struggled to produce during the group stage. In a low scoring defensive showdown, the Drawks took the game against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec to win the IBC. Despite being a strong team the squad showed struggles during the group stage so that puts them at 5th on This list.
Place: 5th

IBC 24- Saint Kanye
In a group with Cosumar, Eshan and Northwest Kalactin, they rolled through and finished with a 9-1 record to get a 2 seed which placed them against a 6-4 Devonta side. They easily steamrolled the Devonta side that failed to put many points on the board. After that they barely got by against Newmanistan, only beating them by 4 points. After that they played Banija, who was a surprise team that year as a number 14 seed. The new Banija side however, could not play the Saint Kanye team who overwhelmed them 109-92. Finally Saint Kanye had their 4th and final title in a close game against Vangiziland.
Rank: 2nd

[The Andromeda Island Group]

Jeckland Spuds vs. The Andromeda Eagles
Andromeda Senators Stadium
Andromeda City, Allied States
Match Day #5
3:02 pm

With just about 30 seconds in the game, Andromeda Center Jane Russell scores in transition, just beating her defender to the basket. The game is tied at 63.

Russell, Odessa Paige and Melissa Long run down-court. Russell just scored her 18th point, scoring the last six points for the Eagles and the last four of the game, bringing the Eagles back from being down by as much as 10 in the 3rd quarter.

As the Spuds attempt an inbound pass, Sadie Smith abandons her man and intercepts the pass. She finds it hard to stop her momentum.

“Time Out,” Kelly Waters yells.

Smith manages to call a time-out before falling out of bounds.

The home crowd cheers for the home team as Waters, Smith, Paige, Long and Russell start to huddle near the bench. Coach Payton and the rest of the coaching staff are confident that Waters will keep everyone on the same page.

Before plotting their final play, the Eagles listen for an update on the game between Vangaziland and the Crystal Empire. Earlier the PA announcer said that the Royals were down 45-40 at the half. The PA announcer himself had sounded surprised as he read the score. He sounds even more surprised now.

“Final score from Vangaziland: Royals 69, Crystal Ponies 92.”

The crowd is amazed to hear that the Royals suffered their first loss. To the Crystal Ponies. At home. By 23.

Paige looks dumbfounded. “What the…”

“Focus,” Waters snaps. “Now, what we just heard, right there, proves that any team can win or lose anywhere on any given night. It happened to the Royals. It ain’t happenin’ to us.”

“Russell. If you’re not double teamed, it’s coming to you. You’ve owned their centers all night. If you are double-teamed, we exploit the mis-match.”

“Odessa, your defender’s been stickin’ to you like white on rice. Try to set a screen if you can. Sadie, if you’re open for the three, take it. The rest of it… we play by ear.”

The five break the huddle. They all appear nervous, except for Melissa Long, who’s playing forward. As she assumes her position, she gives a reassuring wink to Russell.

The game resumes, Smith passes it in to Waters, Paige struggles to shake White-on-Rice. Russell is double teamed while a single defender covers both Long and Smith.

20 seconds.

Waters passes to Smith. Smith passes to Long. One of Russell’s defenders moves to cover Long as she passes back to Smith, who passes it back to Waters. Long touches the back of Smith’s defender. He moves back to cover Long.

10 seconds.

Waters quickly scans the court. Smith steps back nearly two feet behind the three-point line. Waters passes to Smith.

6 seconds.

Smith starts to attempt the three, but as Long’s defender moves her way, she passes to Long.

4 seconds.

One of Russell’s defenders runs to a wide open Long. Long tips Smith’s pass over the defender to Russell.

2 seconds.

Russell jumps up and shoots the ball, with her back to the basket, to a sweet spot on the back board.

Andromeda Senators stadium erupts as the ball bounces in the basket. Russell pumps her fist up.

“And one,” Russell yells, knowing that she has also drawn a foul from Spud Center Chandler Anson, his fifth.

After Anson is replaced, Russell assumes her position at the foul line. The game clock is reset to .3 seconds. Russell sinks her 21st point. The Spuds attempt a desperation three from half court as time expires.

Long waits for Russell as the teams run off court.

“Just like we planned it.”

“Close enough for Jazz,” Long says, giving Russell another knowing wink.

----------

PLAYER OF THE GAME

#10 Jane Russell

Age: 22
Height: 6’4”
Team: Syracuse Lady Commodores
2020 Stats: 18.1 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 4.5 bpg

After two years at the University of Syracuse, Jane Russell joined the Syracuse Lady Commodores. In her second year as a pro, Russell led the Lady Commodores to their first Andromeda Women’s League Title, averaging a double-double last season.

A native of Syracuse, Russell also helped the University of Syracuse win a collegiate basketball title in 2018. She graduated last December.

[Chinese Congo]

Expectability Factor heading into Match 6

Now would seem like a very early time to record any tables to be fair, but if history throughout these five matches alone repeats itself, would it be a whitewash or would second and first place spots be filled with unranked teams up the arse? It's something I, the unintroduced Gary Garofano find very interesting. So join me, as I take a gander into the unexpectability rating of each and every group and the mean factor for it as of far in this World Cup.

Now, unexpectability is a fairly easy formula to know how to do, it goes like this: add up each unranked team's point difference, vice versa for ranked teams. Now, subtract the ranked teams' number, or more intricately worded, the RTA, then subtract that unto the unranked teams' number, there you have your Unexpectability Factor for the group. If it gives out a negative, this is a sign of a fairly normal group in how it operates. Dog eat dog, bigger dog eat smaller dog. If the result is a positive number, it's unexpected to be blunt. This rarely happens.

Categories for Basketball:

-600 to -501 (Sub-Atomic Level of Whitewashing)
-500 to -401 (Devastatingly Obvious Results)
-400 to -301 (Near Devastatingly Obvious Results)
-300 to -201 (Severely Obvious Results)
-200 to -101 (Frequently Obvious Results)
-100 to -1 (Near-Obvious Chaotic Middleground)
0 (Chaotic Middleground)
+1 to +100 (Near-Unexpected Chaotic Middleground
+101 to +200 (Frequently Unexpected Results)
+201 to +300 (Severely Unexpected Results)
+301 to +400 (Near Devastatingly Unexpected Results)
+401 to +500 (Devastatingly Unexpected Results)
+501 to +600 (Sub-Atomic Level of Bookiewrongism)

Onto Group A, then, the group of the A's.

  Group A                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Drawkland                       5    4   1   427  350  +77    0.800
2 Lisander                        5    4   1   442  333 +109    0.800
3 North New South Wales           5    3   2   360  410  −50    0.600
4 Petroslovania                   5    2   3   373  394  −21    0.400
5 Laeral                          5    1   4   349  382  −33    0.200
6 Kriegiersien                    5    1   4   348  430  −82    0.200

Ranked Average Overall: +165 PD
Unranked Average Overall: -170 PD
U-Factor: -335 PD | Near-Devastatingly Obvious Results

  Group B                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Newmanistan                     5    5   0   425  348  +77    1.000
2 Kita-Hinode                     5    3   2   421  399  +22    0.600
3 Trolleborg                      5    3   2   413  389  +24    0.600
4 Puppeted States                 5    2   3   363  385  −22    0.400
5 Juvencus                        5    1   4   324  385  −61    0.200
6 Nova Roma                       5    1   4   358  398  −40    0.200

Ranked Overall PD: +38
Unranked Overall PD: -40
U-Factor: -78 | Near-Obvious Chaotic Middleground

  Group C                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Free Republics                  5    5   0   441  318 +123    1.000
2 Qasden                          5    2   3   394  381  +13    0.400
3 Northwest Kalactin              5    2   3   371  383  −12    0.400
4 Pemecutan                       5    2   3   379  414  −35    0.400
5 Gekkeom                         5    2   3   385  404  −19    0.400
6 Wielka Rzesza Sealandzka        5    2   3   336  406  −70    0.400

Ranked Overall PD: +124
Unranked Overall PD: -124
U-Factor: -248 | Severely Obvious Results

  Group D                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Quebec                          5    5   0   432  322 +110    1.000
2 Chinese Congo                   5    3   2   378  365  +13    0.600
3 Filindostan                     5    3   2   379  364  +15    0.600
4 ZSeparatists                    5    2   3   364  388  −24    0.400
5 Welzat                          5    2   3   361  391  −30    0.400
6 Mkabia                          5    0   5   334  418  −84    0.000

Ranked Overall PD: +138
Unranked Overall PD: -138
U-Factor: -276 | Severely Obvious Results

  Group E                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Banija                          5    5   0   413  357  +56    1.000
2 Equestria                       5    4   1   426  346  +80    0.800
3 Valladares                      5    3   2   375  375    0    0.600
4 Delaclava                       5    2   3   347  373  −26    0.400
5 Donnacona                       5    1   4   350  388  −38    0.200
6 Southwest Eastnorth             5    0   5   356  428  −72    0.000

Ranked Overall PD: +136
Unranked Overall PD: -136
U-Factor: -272 | Severely Obvious Results

  Group F                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Vangaziland                     5    4   1   428  365  +63    0.800
2 Andromeda Islands               5    4   1   380  350  +30    0.800
3 Vakolicci Haven & Celeria       5    3   2   364  361   +3    0.600
4 Crystal Empire                  5    2   3   353  369  −16    0.400
5 North Quadana                   5    1   4   351  364  −13    0.200
6 Jeckland                        5    1   4   350  417  −67    0.200

Ranked Overall PD: +50
Unranked Overall PD: -50
U-Factor: -100 | Only just a Near-Obvious Chaotic Middleground

  Group G                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Valanora                        5    5   0   420  330  +90    1.000
2 Sarzonia                        5    3   2   365  340  +25    0.600
3 Xanneria                        5    3   2   386  376  +10    0.600
4 TJUN-ia                         5    2   3   351  393  −42    0.400
5 Nouveau Quebecois               5    2   3   355  364   −9    0.400
6 Preiva                          5    0   5   349  423  −74    0.000

Ranked Overall PD: +125
Unranked Overall PD: -125
U-Factor: -250 | Severely Obvious Results

  Group H                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Abanhfleft                      5    5   0   422  334  +88    1.000
2 Devonta                         5    3   2   398  383  +15    0.600
3 Cassadaigua                     5    3   2   393  405  −12    0.600
4 HUElavia                        5    3   2   407  391  +16    0.600
5 U.S. of Nuclear Weapons         5    1   4   378  404  −26    0.200
6 Terre Septentrionale            5    0   5   345  426  −81    0.000

Ranked Overall PD: +119
Unranked Overall PD: -119
U-Factor: -238 | Severely Obvious Results

Putting this into a graph later

[TJUN-ia]

The Stars of Srazonia were in Riverside to take on the Hoops-Jags at the Unity Centre, the first time a ranked team had ever come to these shores. Both teams entered the game 2-2 and looking to enter the Off Day above 500.

It wasn't close, but it was an improvement over the Valanora game. Starter Travarius Okuramangawa and bench-player Adamo Zamenhofo especially well as they tried to state their claims to potential moves to the REBL in the Equestrian States. Tonight could be described as the Mike West show as he put up 45 of the Stars 91 points.

So the Jags enter the off day 2-3 - not bad for your first tournament. Now they must prepare for the biggest game so far: hosting Valanora in Riverside. The Dragons will enter the Jungle...

GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE
MD1: @Valanora (8) L 54-85 (6th [Point Differencial])
MD2: vs Preiva (UR) - Unity Center, Riverside W 79-77 (5th [Point Differencial])
MD3: @Nouveau Quebecois (UR) W 68-64 (3rd [Point Differencial])
MD4: @Xanneria (23) L 74-76 (3rd [H2H])
MD5: vs Sarzonia (82) - Unity Center, Riverside L 76-91 (4th [H2H])
---------------------Rest Day-------------------
MD6: vs Valanora (8) - Unity Center, Riverside
MD7: @Preiva
MD8: vs Nouveau Quebecois (UR) - Unity Center, Riverside
MD9: vs Xannaria (23) - Unity Center, Riverside
MD10: @Sarzonia (82) - The Palestra, Woodstock

[Abanhfleft]

JANSEN RAFAEL HARRIS ✓

@BrownStreak02

So Walkin Out On Press Conference Been Kinda Dumb But Sometimes You Gotta Fight Dumb W Dumb & Is All I Gonna Say


#IBC29 : #Rebolusyonaryos : #HarrisPressConference

JAZRAEL ELEAZAR SCHIMP HIGGS ✓

@jazzhiggsfiveoh

- -@BrownStreak02

Look Coach, don't worry about it. Let's all just focus on the next game and bring the trophy back to Riuwiee.


#IBC29 : #Rebolusyonaryos : #HarrisPressConference

LESTER LEONIDAS BAXTER ✓

@The_Leo_Baxter_420

- -@BrownStreak02

Some peeps just gonna find reasons to question things they don't like


#IBC29 : #Rebolusyonaryos : #HarrisPressConference

JANSEN RAFAEL HARRIS ✓

@BrownStreak02

- -@The_Leo_Baxter_420

Thas What I Tryna Say, Press Peeps Never Asked Dis Shit 2 Coach Abdul & Ivan


#IBC29 : #Rebolusyonaryos : #HarrisPressConference

[Sarzonia]

The best way to describe Sarzonia coach Thomas Manningham after Sarzonia put up a tournament-high 91 points in his team's 91-76 victory over TJUN-ia in Riverside was conflicted.

He wasn't pleased that the unranked hosts dictated the tempo and forced the Stars into a run-and-gun contest, in particular with a hostile crowd egging on the debutant nation. Sarzonia (3-2) clamped down in the fourth quarter, limiting the hosts to 14 points while the Stars scored 22.

Nor was he pleased with his starting centre Calvin Baker getting into foul trouble, limiting his contribution to six points, four rebounds and two turnovers in 11 minutes. Reserve centre Terry Rutledge only played 22 minutes because of the up tempo nature of the match.

However, he was very pleased with shooting guard Mike West, who scored a career-high 45 points, even though he played key minutes at power forward in what passed for Sarzonia's attempt to play small ball. West added nine rebounds and 11 assists, only just missing out on a triple double when he elected to sit down on the bench with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter with the Stars ahead by 20.

Jaguars point guard Travarius Okuramangawa led TJUN-ia with 19 points and reserve shooting guard Adamo Adamo added 17 points to match his age.

"We let them play their brand of basketball and it wore us out in the first half," Manningham said. "We couldn't really dictate the tempo and we're going to have to do a better job of that with away matches against Xanneria and Valanora coming up."

On the team's adjustments for the second half, Manningham said his main adjustment was to play the small lineup with West at power forward.

"I figured Mike could use his quickness and agility against their bigs," he said. "He was incredible tonight."

Sarzonia enter the off day level with Xanneria for second place at 3-2, but currently own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the opening victory at The Palestra. However, West cautioned against complacency.

"They didn't get to be the 23rd ranked team in the multiverse without being good," he said. "They're playing in front of their fans and we expect them to pack the arena."

That would be a tall order for the Stars, but not because of the team's play. A spokesman for Woodstock Mayor Claudia Alta said the city still hadn't decided whether to allow fans into the venue for Sarzonia's first home match after their three-match road venture ends after the Valanora match.

"A lot is going to depend on guidelines set forth by the Sarzonian Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Surgeon General Linda Carswell," the spokesman said. "Before the mayor opens the venue for fans, she wants to ensure that she can do so in a responsible way."

"I get it," Alta said at a press conference outside The Palestra. "People are frustrated and angry that they can't do the things they took for granted before. I know people would love to be able to support this team right now. They're playing extremely well, even if it's not necessarily exciting basketball.

"That said, my top priority is ensuring the health and safety of Woodstockers and anyone who visits our city. That takes precedence over any other concerns."

A small scale distribution of a possible vaccine supplied by Delaclav scientists began late last night. Alta said it was too early to tell if the medication would allow the affected areas of the country to resume normal activities.

"We aren't anywhere close to being able to make a determination on that," she said. "There's more that has to be done."

[Kriegiersien]

Kriegiersien 89–78 Drawkland

And after all the losses, the first win came against Drawkland. The last placed against the first. The team that didn't win anything against the unbeaten Top of the table.
After the disaster against Lisander (57–115 in Pony City), where they had been demolished and a further loss against Laeral from the men's team, the women's team had one last chance in their last home match.
They got to play in Schoenwetter, in "The Dome" with 101.003 placces where normaly Killerwaterball ist played. And they showed a match that was worthy to be remembered. Everything that went wrong before and every shot that had missed was now a success story.

Now all of the rest of the home games will be played in The Dome in Schoenwetter, even a Killerwaterball matchday postponed for that.

We will now see if this is the right place. The men's team will play all home matches there and have to show if they earn a place at the next Olympics.

The women will have to travel and prove that they are no one-hit-wonders.

[Northwest Kalactin]

Hello scouts and coaches of the Royal Equestrian Basketball League. I am Felix Ders of the Northwest Kalactin Basketball Association and we have gotten word a player is interested in playing in your league. The player in question is Daniel Perez, a 20 year old Small Forward out of the Coastal City College. Mr. Perez has publicly announced his intents to play in your league and would like a response from those interested. Our scouts classify him as a 6-8 Forward that is very versatile and can play both Forward Positions. Mr. Perez struggles beyond the three-point line however, he does have a very high percentage from mid-range. He is an excellent defender being able to play defense on some of the best Forwards. He went undrafted this year but he hopes he can find a spot in the Equestrian Basketball League

Name: Daniel Perez
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Age: 20
Position: SF
Current Team/School: Free Agent
Brief Scouting Report: good defender, struggled in three point range. Good mid range shooter. Average size small forward.
Other Info: none

Signed, Felix Ders

NKBL Preview
Ladies and Gentlemen, the NKBL is back! Today Sporting News Kalactin will give you all the info you need to know about the league this year.

Projected Order of Finish
1. Yamba
2. Coffs
3. Murwelldobah
4. Gold Coast
5. Kempsey
6. Ballina
7. Purple Town
8. Lismore
The defending regular season champions, Murwelldobah have taken a huge hit recently as one of their stars, Ricky Garza was signed in Free Agency by Yamba, who now seems to be the favorites for the title. Coffs is stationary in their spot at number 2 as they do not see much fall off from last year. Yamba will now have a Dynamic Duo in Rick Garza and Jorge Sutton who are both some of the best players in the league. Gold Coast, sees a large improvement from last year jumping up 2 spots in the power rankings to possibly grab one of the playoff spots this year. Much of this is due to the signing of Point Guard Andrew Clark who looks to cement himself as an elite player in the league. Kempsey did not see much fall off but they did struggle to find much improvement from the year before. Ballina with losing Andrew Clark that leaves them with only Charlie Larson to lead their team so they have a pretty large falloff. Purple Town and Lismore stay down in the cellar both looking to get younger players to lead their team.

Who Are The Best Players-Players Survey
We surveyed the players to see who they thought the best was and this is what we got:
Michael Hughes: 60%
Jorge Sutton: 27%
Charlie Larson: 11%
Josh Abbott: 1.6%
Rick Garza: 0.4%
Michael Hughes was an overwhelming option for the players getting 60% of the vote. Jorge Sutton also grabbed a good 27% of the vote. Charlie Larson is also a popular option with many players voting him.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

TEAM CLOSES OUT PERFECT FIRST HALF

by Taylor Larson,

So far, so good in the 29th International Basketball Championships for the Rockets as they completed the first half of their schedule with a 81-72 win over Trolleborg in Pocono City in front of a loud and raucous crowd at Emperor Michael I Stadium. It did not begin loud though, as the game began with a moment of silence in remembrance of Quebec’s King Jacques IX. While there has not been a great deal of interaction between Newmanistan and Quebec over the years, there is still a level of respect in which the Emperor and most Newmanistanians have towards royal leaders who do their job right and with fairness, instead of abusing the authority in which they have.

In this game, the Rockets were better defensively then they were offensively at the outset, as they were likely guilty of trying to be too cute on the offensive end of the court with their long distance shots. They weren’t falling as much as the team would have liked, but Brian Danielsen and Lucas Bennerman established their presence on the boards in an highly efficient manner, so the struggles of the outside game never were a big deal. It did not show on the scoreboard, either, because Newmanistan was excellent on defense with a particular rejection by Byron Storm on Kasper Hendrix electrifying the crowd. The Rockets led after the first quarter by the score of 16-12, not an impressive margin, but it was getting the job done. At halftime, things were not much different, but both teams picked up the offense just a little bit, and the Rockets held a 39-31 lead at the intermission.

This was not one of the greatest games for Warren Peyser as the threes just did not fall for him tonight. That will happen to a great shooter, and Travis Warden did not pick up the pace much either. Newmanistan would have to win this game differently, and that would be via their defense, and they were simply up to the task. Storm had Hendrix’s number in the paint all day long, and Lucas Bennerman brought down the boards effectively in both ends of the court. Head coach James Parsons was impressed with the way Bennerman stepped up in this match, “All the guys on this team know that they will have to step it up at any given time. We know how we would like to win games, but it is not always going to work out that way. To get a win over a good team like Trolleborg when our long distance shots were not falling is something that says a lot about this team. Lucas played a big part in that. He excels at this with Centralia, he’s bit me like that for years, so this was his day to really show the world what everyone knows he is capable of doing.” Parsons also had an extended look in this game at the 22-year old Kevin McCarrick, from the Jessicaville Millionaires since Peyser and Warden were not at their best tonight. McCarrick scored 12 in the game, all coming from behind the three point line. During the second half, Trolleborg never got closer then five points behind while never trailing by more then twelve. Down the stretch, and comeback hopes of theirs were spoiled thanks to excellent free throw shooting by the sky blue.

The team will begin the second half of their schedule now, with an interesting game to open it up. At The Jungle in Loudon, Newmanistan will take on Kita-Hinode. That, in itself, is a good game, but out in Filindostan tonight Newmanistan will also be taking on Kita-Hinode, that one for the Campionato Esportiva 26 Championship. Quite an interesting double header tonight, and perhaps if we had a choice, we’d pick the soccer match, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to win them both!

COMING TOMORROW IN THE ROCKET REPORT: Do you REALLY want to go down memory lane and into the history of this tournament? We'll do that and began talking about a history of this tournament that was jolted away. We begin bringing that back to life. Get ready!

[Sarzonia]

Woodstock Daily Mail

Marshall, Alta in row over venue closure
By Travis West
Daily Mail Staff Writer

Sarzonia's vice president for Health and Athletics and Woodstock Mayor Claudia Alta are denying reports that a rift has developed between the Incorporated Sarzonian Government and the chief executive of its capital city after the two officials publicly sparred over the status of home matches at The Palestra.

The Sarzonian national basketball team has played its first three matches without fans in a venue that seats up to 21,730 at basketball capacity because of nationwide restrictions in place to protect against the spread of the SARS 2 novel Coronavirus, which has seen 2,306 dead in the capital and 21,806 nationwide.

Carter Marshall, the vice president for Health and Athletics, said that recipients of a recently developed vaccine sent by the Delaclav health department have shown early signs of resistance to the strains of the virus, and a sample size of sufferers who received a jointly developed treatment have recovered from the virus.

"We've seen really positive signs for this round of treatments, so I would feel comfortable asking the mayor to reconsider her directive to keep The Palestra closed to fans," he said.

Alta said the decision about how to reopen, or even whether to reopen, would be up to scientists and medical professionals, and would not be coerced by the federal government.

"As I have always said, the health and safety of Woodstockers and anyone in this city is our first priority," Alta said. "If we're going to open The doors to The Palestra or to any city facility, we will do so when it's safe and we can do so responsibly."

Alta bristled at the notion that she was being overprotective of the venue staff, the players, coaches, and media personnel.

"Look, we're not just going to throw the doors open and let anybody walk in and possibly cause additional infections," she said. The possible vaccine and treatments developed by Delaclav and Sarzonian scientists and medical researchers "show terrific promise," but she said she wasn't willing to ease the restrictions without a larger sample size.

"If we get more evidence that the treatments work to combat this virus, we can work toward restoring a sense of normalcy and get the team in front of its fans," she said.

Surgeon General Linda Carswell said she was in regular contact with Alta and said she supported the idea of making the decision about when or how to reopen the venue with an abundance of caution.

"I've talked with the mayor and with Dr. [Vin-He] Tran [Woodstock's surgeon general] and I've offered them my guidance about the potential return from the current state of medical emergency," Carswell said. "The treatment protocols are promising, but they're really in a better position to decide what's best for their locality."

A rider that passed in the latest pandemic relief package approved by Parliament and signed into law by President Grant Haffner established the surgeon general as being fully independent of the Health and Athletics department and adds Carswell to the Presidential line of succession. The measure specifically allows Carswell to report directly to Haffner.

The Stars (3-2) travel to Xanneria in a battle for second place in Group G. They will then face 5-0 Valanora away before they return to The Palestra.

Alta said the venue would "likely" still be closed to spectators, but the city was "exploring" the possibility of a "socially distanced" crowd for the group stage finale against TJUN-ia.

[Cassadaigua]

After meeting Princess Christine, Prince Caspian would head back to the area that his parents and family would be sitting for the opening ceremonies. He was always so shy, but right now he didn’t even know what to say to them. He had never had a girlfriend, before, and while Christine was not that yet, either, it was a conversation like he had never had before. The security official who saw the two of them together mentioned it to Queen Cassie II, which in turn was overheard by his sisters. While the Queen did not think anything much of it, both Princess Cassandra and Chelsea were doing their job as older sisters and nagging him about it. At the same time, they were a little jealous, because they were also sitting in this suite as single people. Caspian was able to get her phone number, and they would exchange a few more texts until things settled down, and the delegations began to make their appearance in the Opening Ceremonies. Queen Cassie II and King Charles advised all of their kids that they could be on Cassadagan camera at any point during the ceremony, not only when the Cassadagans came out, so they better show a lot of interest and act excited for all nations that came out. The show would go on, and the rest of the evening would be about the ceremonies, but soon enough they would be able to get together again.

Caspian had planned to go to as many hockey games as he could, and he was happy to hear that Christine also liked the sport of hockey. However, for the first couple days, they already had arrangements to be in certain venues throughout the host nation of Electrum, and they could not cancel those plans. Well, they probably could have if they really wanted too, but instead of doing that each of them noticed that there was a curling match scheduled between their respective nations. Caspian did not know much about curling, but Christine seemed to be a little more familiar with it. Now, after all of those phone conversations and texts since the opening ceremonies, they were going to have their first official date. Before heading back home to Cassadaigua, Queen Cassie II let Caspian know that she was on to him having a romantic interest, and asked the questions about who this was. A foreign princess. This was interesting and something that she could not remember happening in the family before. She liked that, it was really different, and when she found out that she was from Quebec, she had felt a big sense of relief. The Queen was really hoping that foreign affairs would not get in the way of her son’s first serious relationship like this, but if she were from a nation that Cassadaigua did not have good relations with, then it would not be that easy. Hearing it was Quebec was relaxing. She had gotten to know King Jacques IX pretty well and knew him as an honorable man and a fair leader. Upon hearing this news, she called up King Jacques IX and asked him if he was aware of it, and as expected, he had already seen through it. It wasn’t as unusual of a situation for the King as it was for Queen Cassie II, so in a way, the King was able to sooth her own concerns. She did not have any concerns about the Princess herself, but more so the reactions, and what a romantic relationship would mean for the two Royal Families if it did end up getting more serious. Each agreed that they would fully support it, and let the teenagers decide for themselves if the relationship would go to additional levels. After all, they had not officially had that one special date yet.

At the curling arena, both Caspian and Christine would share a luxury suite, and have it to themselves. They were out of the limelight, away from their parents, so for most people, they were a couple of young kids in a suite together. Each were comfortable now, and dressed down a lot more then the royal attire that they were wearing for the opening ceremonies. Prince Caspian was beginning to overcome his shyness now and was talking a lot more easily to the Princess. For the first time, he knew that a woman was not just talking to him to try and get up close to the Palace, and perhaps the feeling was mutual for Christine. Fortunately, the food was good that they were able to share, and the curling match between Cassadaigua and Quebec was set to begin. Christine was a kind of surprised that Caspian did not understand that game of curling all that well, and joked that if a sport has innings, it should baseball. Christine explained it well, and midway through, Caspian was thoroughly understanding what he watching, so he could begin to take the ribbing that Christine began to give him as Quebec dominated the match. He liked the competitive side of her, and they began getting closer and closer to one another. This was too public, though, and while both felt that no one would really recognize them, it was always possible that someone out there would, so they would leave and head to a more private setting for the two of them. That would simply be in their vehicle, but it allowed for them to get closer, and for them each to share stories, especially in regards to their background. It was the first date of many for the two while they were in Electrum, and before they would leave and head home, they were officially calling themselves a couple.

Privately, Prince Caspian wondered what was going to happen with the two of them in their roles. They were each so young and not thinking about leading a nation, but both would have other responsibilities for their families. Only time could tell what could come of it.

[Banija]

Kabaka - King
Luguba - Queen Consort
Sarauniya - Queen Mother
Isebantu - Crown Prince
Omugabe/Omugaba - Prince/Princess
Omulangira/Kyabazinga - Duke/Duchess
Kagere/Kiweewa - Lord/Lady
Katikkiro - Prime Minister
Waziri - Foreign Minister
Kiongozi- Leader of the Opposition
Lukiiko- Parliament
Mkiiko- Member of the Lukiiko(Banijan equivalent of the term MP)
Mukegara- Small minority tribe of 50,000 in Northeastern Banija. They are very isolated, and are not Mormon. They get their own Mkiiko.
CRU- Collective Resistance Union(leads coalition government, left-wing/social democratic)
FJP- Free Justice Party(Junior Coalition partner, center-left)
PPM- People's Protection Movement(Official opposition, center-right)
CPL- Christian Patriots League(also in opposition but less than half the size of the PPM, religious right)

Setting is a meeting between the Kabaka and the Isebantu, and their aides, alongside an Ambassador video-conferencing in, shortly before they fly to

The Kabaka was sitting with his oldest son, the Isebantu, and a bunch of aides. They were trying to get in a quick meeting about foreign policy before they left for the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. While they were in country for the funeral of a great ally, there of course would not be any sort of ability to get other work done. Jacques IX was extremely popular worldwide. It would be an intense networking opportunity- this was the biggest gathering of Royals and world leaders that the Kabaka had been to abroad, possibly ever. And, of course, all sorts of duties to take care of while there, the biggest being, of course, the actual funeral itslef.

They were talking, waiting for the Ambassador to telephone in. Just then, the monitor started ringing. It was Sarah Lwanga, the Ambassador to the Free Republics. "Your Majesty," she said, waving to Kabaka Mwanga. "Your Highness," she then said, waving to Isebantu Mutungi. "It's a pleasure and an honor to be invited onto this call. Of course, it's been years since I've spoken to either of you. I haven't spoken to either of you directly since your Majesty's ascension to the throne and my re-appointment as Ambassador to Republica."

"Yes, Sarah, hopefully as well?" The Isebantu inquired. She nodded. "Great. Now, of course, some quick housekeeping. I'm preparing instructions to send out to Banijan diplomats all over the multiverse, but since I'm on the phone with you, I can tell you now so that you know. Jacques IX was a great ally of Banija- and it is important that we honor him. I'm going to send out instructions that, on the day of King Jacques IX's funeral, Banijan flags at all foreign ministry buildings will be flown at 3/4s mast. Of course, it is extremely rare to lower the flag for a foreign leader- but it's warranted here. So be ready."

"I will be, your Highness." Ambassador Lwanga said.

"Now, of course, we don't have a ton of time- we've got to get on a plane pretty quick here." Said the Kabaka. "I just want a short rundown on what's going on in the Free Republics. What the hell is happening? They got a dude running here on the enslavement of Equestrians? They got some crazy politicians in some parts of the world. Is he gonna win? Can he win?"

"Well, all polling says that he doesn't have much of a chance." Ambassador Lwanga said. "He's one of those retrograde racists- as you can imagine, pretty much everything he spews out of that mouth of his is bullshit, pardon my language. He's polling extremely low in the country. Now, of course, there is a danger, as they have recently had a stock market crash- the economy is not doing too hot in that country right now. But barring anything... Truly crazy, I don't think there's a need to even acknowledge him. Bigots like that one just love the attention."

"Well, OK. So you are allowed to vote in Republican elections, right?" The Isebantu asked. The Ambassador simply nodded. "Here are your instructions then. We have a policy generally of not interfering in foreign elections. OF course, Republican election law does explicitly allow for it, but we've had a general policy of banning our diplomats from getting involved in a foreign election. That policy will stay... For now. Anytime you do a press interview or anything, don't even talk about the guy. Just spit out the usual line- 'Banija's only interest in foreign elections are that they are free and fair.' I want you to keep us updated, directly. That guy getting into power could cause huge problems. We'll connect again next week to discuss?"

"Yes, of course." Said Ambassador Lwanga. "We'll keep an eye on out. But officially, publicly? We'll say nothing. Got it."

"Thank you, Madam Ambassador." Said Kabaka Mwanga. "Thank you for your assistance. Now, of course, we've got to run to get to Quebec City for the next couple of days, but when I'm back here at Mujaguzo Palace, I'll expect an update." With that, the call ended, and the meeting ended shortly after. Next destination? Quebec City.

[Kita-Hinode]

Alita and Ercwylff were an interesting couple to those who followed Hinodejin media. Alita's ex had been killed in the Dreamplanetian attacks to the city of Misei but she bounced back rather quickly with her then-new teammate Ercwylff. As cyborgs, both had some similar experiences throughout their rather short lives: Alita's legs were taken out due to a defect on their formation while Ercwylff had lost them when helping his parents scavenge the ashes of the Castle of Llanadiflar, both found themselves using cybernetic legs as an "investment" from the Midoriyama Zaibatsu and both eventually were freed from any sort of obligation thanks to the Act of Hinodejin Reparation.

Both ended up finding their way to join the Mashu Wolves basketball club (of which, the head of the Midoriyama Zaibatsu happens to be a fan of) and both did have important people that were in Misei at the time as Ercwylff's family had relocated to the region in order to help with the mining of old Kitsunian artifacts and other objects. Ercwylff's family, however, didn't suffer any major repercussions from the war, which did help the shooting forward become a good supporting piece to his eventual girlfriend. And now, they sat in silence, watching as a mostly human line-up closed out their victory against the Puppeted States.

It wasn't that they were unhappy over their victory, quite the contrary. What really was their problem was the rather noisy presence not too far away from them on the bench. Thór Magnussen and Chan Seo-Joon might have reached a truce with each other but were now spending their venom on the opposition, trash-talking their players at a volume that couldn't really be heard by the spent Johns. Surprisingly, no referee seemed to mind what they were doing and the worst-case scenario of the team having to deal with ejections was out of the question. With the game over, Alita and Ercwylff made sure to shake their opponents' hands. They were proud of their victory but not proud enough to the point of belittling their competition.

Hardly made up for Seo-Joon's clear smirk that was caught on camera, but that wasn't really a problem they had anything to do with.

[Trolleborg]

Petrus Reper is one of the most interesting and colorful personalities that have known to Trolleborg people recently. In his life, he did’t make a career not and did he intends to pursue one, confining himself to a position that ensured maximum freedom - because the main passion of his life was visiting football matches. Besides the fact that he went to all the home games and a considerable part of the away games of his native club, he also attended everything that he could visit, from the cup finals to the competitions of amateur teams. And everywhere, literally everywhere, he managed to liven up the stands, and always came up with something new. Most often, he limited himself to slogans, many of which he invented on the go, waving a scarf and thundered into the drum or blowing a pipe, but also things like a clown costume on stilts, flying along a rope stretched over a field, flying a makeshift balloon with the slogan “Guys, they are looking at you from above, play as good as can!” listed on his account of memorable acts. TV three times make him guest in the prime-time shows and make a numerous interviews with him. At a time when our teams beginning their way in the international sports are losing one game after other, such people are absolutely necessary in the stands, and so Petrus was on the list of people who were given priority tickets for matches of the football team and visited almost all of home games in World Cup Qualifying, and, perhaps, there was his noticeable share is in that meager number of points that fate bestowed on our players. He also visited four away games, and when it turned out that his work would prevent him from being at one of them, the employer was inundated with a letters of requests to do something, and 11 people volunteered to temporarily replace him. I must say that Petrus was always interested in basketball insofar as it was, and spoke out that it would quickly burn fans out, because very often it was necessary to express joy, unlike in football, where every goal counts. But in the end, he still went with the team to Newmanistan, saying “our lads play, time to hide our personal nonsense in the pockets, and support with everything I can do”, and this time grabbed a bagpipe, with which celebrated all the successful throws of our players. “My throat really hurts,” he complained after the game, “and it’s very unfortunate that our lads lost, but they played real good. We can’t won against such a strong opponents if luck not in our side, and it’s not the case today. Maybe we’ll be lucky in the return game. ”

STATISTICAL SUMMARY:
Newmanistan – Trolleborg 82:71 (16:12, 39:31, 61:51, 82:71).
Emperor Michael I Arena, Pocono City.

Puppeted States lost to Kita-Honde, 78-95, and Juvencus last game allow thew to move out of the last place, moving there their opponents from Nova Roma – by way, it’s our next opponents.
With these games, first half of the tournament is over. We are sitting at the third place with a 3 wins and 2 loses, and missed playoff.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Soaring Dragons

Halfway through the group stage of the 29th edition of the IBC and the national team is doing the country proud with the efforts that they have put out their on the hardwood. With a clean sweep of the first half of the group stage, the Dragons are in a very comfortable position in order to advance out of the group and should be the odds on favorites to emerge as the group winners with their two game lead over second place sides Sarzonia and Xanneria. While the side perhaps has not been as dominant on the offensive side of the ball as they would have liked, with the (in)famous reliance on the three point shot, the side has had one of the best defensive performances in the tournament thus far. It is a surprising turn of events, given that the Dragons and most Vanorian national teams are known the world over for being more offensive minded, however it is not unwelcomed as it seems the half court press of the Dragons has quite thoroughly confounded opponents enough to keep them from being consistent threats with their offensive possessions.

Speaking of Sarzonia, they are the one side who truly put a threat to the Dragons, when the team traveled there for the second game in the competition and escaped from a buzzer beater winner that did not manage to fall through the basket. It was perhaps the sort of close shave that shook the side out of its slumber and let them come into their own. In the three games since then, not a single time has the team looked like they were anywhere near losing and have truly represented their top ten ranking and outsiders chance at the title odds quite well. This is a national team that has seen its ups and downs, like clean sweeping a group stage only to fall flat in the first knockout round and be thoroughly dismissed at the first hurdle. Or worse yet, to come so close to lifting the trophy only for the squad to have the worst performance of its tournament, not once but twice. A wake up call this early in the tournament in the form of that trip northeast could do the side a world of wonders to keep their egos and determination in check as the team powers through to what they hope could turn into a title winning performance.

That task starts tomorrow against TJUN-ia, a side that the Dragons had very little trouble in beating in the first game of the tournament but as the TJUN-ia squad has bedded in, they have become quite a different team than the one that the Dragons trounced in that opening day fixture. It will be a much closer game than the first but the Dragons ought to have enough experience to keep their heads above water and see the team out and get their second half rolling. The big test will come that second game of the second half, when Sarzonia instead travels into the Eternal Empire to put their own hot streak to the test and try to seize the momentum that they will need in order to fend off the rest of the group from trying to steal the other spot of advancing from the group from them. A victory over the Dragons would be an unexpected one but one that they could rally behind and see the rest of their group stage out, while a victory for the Dragons could potentially see them punch an early ticket to the knockout stages. Five games separate the teams from their fates but for the time being, the wings of this team are open and soaring above the rest of the field.

[Filindostan]

The first half of the group stage campaign for Filindostan in the IBC 29 seemed to be in a very up and down state.

After a comfortable win over ZSeparatists on their first game, the Filindos were handed a lesson in humility after losing against the much taller Chinese Congo squad. They were able to beat both Welzat and Mkabia, the latter's domestic league showing promise in the IUBC front. It was however in the fifth game wherein they had no match to a team they swept, no less in the Filindos' own turf. They were able to cling on to the offensive firepower the Quebecois was providing in the early moments in the game. However, the rust that came from not participating in the 28th IBC has shown in a bad light, which their opponents took full advantage with.

Filindostan will be on the road again facing ZSeperatists, another crucial game where a loss would mean giving another shot for Chinese Congo and the teams below them to duke it out for the coveted second spot and a ticket to Equestria.

[Delaclava]

It had been a rough week or so for the Delaclava basketball team. First, they went to Valladares and lost by three points after a last-second turnover. They went home to Vana Beach took on Banija, had one of the best teams in the world on the ropes, and incredibly lost by two on another last-second turnover. They then flew out to Equestria, hoping their relative success against Banija would help against another high-quality team.

Instead, they were beaten comprehensively, 103-60. The margin was at least respectable until Rick Jones rolled an ankle and had to head back to the dressing room. By the time he was even remotely ready to go, Equestria was taking a 28-point lead in for the half and coach Jim Levins told Rick to get into his street clothes and save himself for Donnacona. Rick protested but obliged, and the rest of the team tried in vain to preserve some sort of dignity.

No one was enjoying this first trip to the IBC. Carly Davis was struggling with the weight of expectation, trying to prove her worth as a female starting for a basketball program who had never seen a woman on the roster before. The guard she'd replaced, Evan Galliano, was furious with himself that he hadn't been able to earn the right to hold onto his spot. Rick Jones was still hobbling around as he joined his team for meals and workouts. Some of the younger players had never been so far away from home before, and were really missing it.

Levins had grown quite fond of his players in a short time. He knew the games themselves could get rough against top-level opposition. But he had at least hoped his players could be happy with where they were. So he had an idea: he figured there was enough room in the schedule for a detour, instead of heading straight back to Vana Beach.

They'd go to Manchester, the large eastern coastal city, which happened to be near St. James University, where Levins' teams had reigned supreme for many years. He could drum up a lot of support for his new team if they pulled the right strings.

As the team boarded the private jet in Everfree, Levins explained the change in itinerary. When they landed at the airport, there was a gauntlet of adoring fans waiting to cheer them on as they disembarked. The players were almost stunned to see much support coming their way - all they had seen was the negativity on their social media right after games. But what they hadn't been seeing was that for every one troll decrying the Phoenixes' performances, there were at least a hundred more showing their pride in their national team. That couldn't have been clearer when Carly Davis stepped off the plane and got the loudest cheer of them all.

With a little more pep in their step, the Phoenixes got on a bus that in 30 minutes was pulling up to the arena at St. James University. The atmosphere would be laid back - they were just going to scrimmage a little bit with the current St. James basketball team. Admission was free and attendance was standing room only as the fans took in the friendly, glorified practice with great thrill and appreciation. By the time the half-game, half-rally ended, the Phoenixes had a whole different attitude and a spring in their step.

It made all the difference when Delaclava stepped onto the court at Hamilton Grand Gym in Vana Beach. Even at capacity, there were only about nine thousand fans in attendance, and their cheers were just as loud as the Phoenixes got locked into another dogfight with Donnacona, but this time they made it all the way over the finish line, pulling out the 69-66 win.

The next day, Jim Levins looked over the standings of the entire tournament with interest. Group E, Delaclava's group, stuck out with how normal it was. Every team had performed exactly as expected - no better, no worse. With the Phoenixes clearly the fourth best in the group, normalcy was a problem for their hopes of advancing. Something abnormal would have to happen if the Phoenixes wanted to crack the top two.

But the good news was, this team was having fun again. Even as they struggled to close out against Donnacona, they were a team with belief, a team who knew they could win the basketball game. If there was a chance to slip through, beat Banija and Equestria and Valladares, it was now there for the taking.

[Equestrian States]

Drawkland 67–69 Lisander
Petroslovania 78–60 Laeral
North New South Wales 83–87 Kriegiersien

  Group A                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Lisander                        6    5   1   511  400 +111    0.833
2 Drawkland                       6    4   2   494  419  +75    0.667
3 North New South Wales           6    3   3   443  497  −54    0.500
4 Petroslovania                   6    3   3   451  454   −3    0.500
5 Kriegiersien                    6    2   4   435  513  −78    0.333
6 Laeral                          6    1   5   409  460  −51    0.167

---

Nova Roma 55–82 Trolleborg
Newmanistan 84–79 Kita-Hinode
Puppeted States 76–67 Juvencus

  Group B                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Newmanistan                     6    6   0   509  427  +82    1.000
2 Trolleborg                      6    4   2   495  444  +51    0.667
3 Kita-Hinode                     6    3   3   500  483  +17    0.500
4 Puppeted States                 6    3   3   439  452  −13    0.500
5 Juvencus                        6    1   5   391  461  −70    0.167
6 Nova Roma                       6    1   5   413  480  −67    0.167

---

Gekkeom 69–91 Pemecutan
Northwest Kalactin 90–60 Wielka Rzesza Sealandzka
Qasden 43–77 Free Republics

  Group C                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Free Republics                  6    6   0   518  361 +157    1.000
2 Pemecutan                       6    3   3   470  483  −13    0.500
3 Northwest Kalactin              6    3   3   461  443  +18    0.500
4 Wielka Rzesza Sealandzka        6    2   4   396  496 −100    0.333
5 Qasden                          6    2   4   437  458  −21    0.333
6 Gekkeom                         6    2   4   454  495  −41    0.333

---

Welzat 67–72 Chinese Congo
ZSeparatists 58–67 Filindostan
Quebec 96–70 Mkabia

  Group D                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Quebec                          6    6   0   528  392 +136    1.000
2 Chinese Congo                   6    4   2   450  432  +18    0.667
3 Filindostan                     6    4   2   446  422  +24    0.667
4 ZSeparatists                    6    2   4   422  455  −33    0.333
5 Welzat                          6    2   4   428  463  −35    0.333
6 Mkabia                          6    0   6   404  514 −110    0.000   E

---

Valladares 70–67 Equestria
Banija 75–47 Donnacona
Delaclava 94–59 Southwest Eastnorth

  Group E                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Banija                          6    6   0   488  404  +84    1.000
2 Valladares                      6    4   2   445  442   +3    0.667
3 Equestria                       6    4   2   493  416  +77    0.667
4 Delaclava                       6    3   3   441  432   +9    0.500
5 Donnacona                       6    1   5   397  463  −66    0.167
6 Southwest Eastnorth             6    0   6   415  522 −107    0.000   E

---

Jeckland 86–83 North Quadana
Vakolicci Haven & Celeria 82–87 Crystal Empire
Vangaziland 73–86 Andromeda Islands

  Group F                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Andromeda Islands               6    5   1   466  423  +43    0.833
2 Vangaziland                     6    4   2   501  451  +50    0.667
3 Vakolicci Haven & Celeria       6    3   3   446  448   −2    0.500
4 Crystal Empire                  6    3   3   440  451  −11    0.500
5 Jeckland                        6    2   4   436  500  −64    0.333
6 North Quadana                   6    1   5   434  450  −16    0.167

---

Xanneria 66–90 Sarzonia
TJUN-ia 93–75 Valanora
Nouveau Quebecois 75–91 Preiva

  Group G                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Valanora                        6    5   1   495  423  +72    0.833
2 Sarzonia                        6    4   2   455  406  +49    0.667
3 Xanneria                        6    3   3   452  466  −14    0.500
4 TJUN-ia                         6    3   3   444  468  −24    0.500
5 Nouveau Quebecois               6    2   4   430  455  −25    0.333
6 Preiva                          6    1   5   440  498  −58    0.167

---

U.S. of Nuclear Weapons 66–72 Devonta
Cassadaigua 79–72 Abanhfleft
Terre Septentrionale 68–63 HUElavia

  Group H                       Pld    W   L    PF   PA   PD    Win %
1 Abanhfleft                      6    5   1   494  413  +81    0.833
2 Devonta                         6    4   2   470  449  +21    0.667
3 Cassadaigua                     6    4   2   472  477   −5    0.667
4 HUElavia                        6    3   3   470  459  +11    0.500
5 U.S. of Nuclear Weapons         6    1   5   444  476  −32    0.167
6 Terre Septentrionale            6    1   5   413  489  −76    0.167

---

Advance as Group Winners
Advance as Runners-up
Cannot Win Group
Eliminated

[Northwest Kalactin]

Top 5 Offenses from the Past 5 IBCs

IBC 28- Newmanistan
Newmanistan our scoring during this tourney at a high scoring a total of 288 in a three game group stage. Their wins where 117–57, 95–72 and 79–56. Their 121–66 win against Xanneria was one of the highest scoring games all tournament. As they faced off against eventual title winners Drawkland, their poor defensive play would later come back to bite them as they lost a game 105–86. Nevertheless, they put on a very strong overall offensive performance that will be hard for someone to replicate this tourney. Some honorable mentions where Abanhfleft and back to back champs Vangiziland.

IBC 27- Filindostan
Putting up a very impressive 885 points in the group stage, Filindostan had by far the best offense in the IBC that year. Interestingly they also had a good defense, only allowing 44 points in the final match day against Velstrania. However, they had a disappointing Ro16 game against Pridnestrovia where they lost by almost 20. Vangaziland came close in second again in this list but lost out by 5 points during the group stage. The Royal Kingdom of Quebec also had a good offense but focused more on defense than offense.

IBC 26- Quebec
Despite not necessarily having the best offense they still showed a powerful performance on offense. They would have finished 10-0 if it wasn’t for a final MD loss against Nepenisea 101–86. A round of 16 performance that they only scored 70 points but they showed a impressive defensive performance where they only gave up 59. And then in the quarterfinals in a game against Vangiziland they ended up only scoring 58 they ended the KOs with some bad offenses performances but still their group stage offense gave them the honour off number 1 on their list.

IBC 25- Vangaziland
Probably the best offense so far on this list Vangaziland scored a total of 914 points during the tournament. This is one of the highest scoring averages ever of 91.4. In their first game against the Cosumar national team they edged them out by 8 72–64. However, in a knockout stage match against Newmanistan they lost 77–73. They had a great offense during the group stage however, during the knockout stage they blew the tournament in 2 poor matches. An honorable mention is Banija who scored 885 points during the Group Stage.

IBC 24- Drawkland
By far the most points in that IBC Drawkland scored 877 points, which was almost 20 more than the next best offense. However, they blew a match against Banija where they only scored 69 points the entire game which was a low for the team that tourney. Saint Kanye Who ended up winning the championship that season went on to score 857 points that edition.

[Chinese Congo]

"If the boys would have been caught out by Welzat any easier, they might have done what's called a double over us. You know, coach, if you want to teach us anything about determination, you might as well make us look an impoverished court and let us lose against Filindostan. I don't know how we won over them last time anyways, and I manage a top-flight team in the Congo! What we know for sure is they're losing to Quebec anyways, it'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine as you word it, the only problem about your suggestion, and I put this in a colon: WE'RE ALSO FACING THEM! HAVEN'T YOU LOOKED AT THE FIXTURES!? DON'T YOU EVEN KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE SPORTING WORLD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A TALL ORDER WE HAVE!? No, that must have not been it.. You ate too much tiramisu on the way to Welzat didn't you?! Your head got stuffy! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO CONTROL YOUR LIFE!"

"Well, what can I say? Tiramisu is my forte, anyways. You can't expect a rigid, sterling athlete like me to not have an 'out of house and home' diet. Geez, gaffer. Lighten up a bit."

"You ate all the goddamn Tira! It already costs enough for me to travel you lugs around, but now I've got a football foodie on my hands."

"Say, aside from all that, what do you think is going to happen in the Filindostan game? I'm pretty uncertain, we played out of our minds to do that, so I'm asking you, how are we able to accomplish such a feat again in such small notice with no substitutes to, well, show themselves on the world stage? I'm sure there've been many that were seething out the mouth at the opportunity to play for their birthplace, but no, a person with such high stature and public position as myself gets to show up on the starting V. Wouldn't it be nice to give some of our young talents a little around-the-house courtplay?"

"Substitutes? Now that word caught me. It's the smartest thing you've said all day. The committee's made enough budget from their revenue at the last World Cup, it'd actually be a surplus due to the lack of adjustments made asides from the complete scrappage of the last starting five. I'll notify the board immediately, son."

"Son? Why do you call me that?"

"You've played just as good as my son that I so wish to see. Going home won't solve anything though."

"Going home? Why? Is he on some kind of corporate trip? I hope he's safe anyways, he's a product of you, so he must be."

"It's best not to be told what isn't your business anyway. Also, you sound a bit egocentric when you talk about yourself like that. Tone it down, son."

---

On a lighter note.. Substitutes (All 5 of them not described in shockingly excruciating detail, only expectedly underwhelmingly excruciating detail)

Code: Select all

Xinli Juncaj | 24 | 180 lbs | 6'1 | Born in Jinggangshan, Chinese Congo | Raised in Tacheng, Chinese Congo | Fluent In: Mandarin, Southern Sotho, French, English

Olumide Rossler | 19 | 210 lbs | 6'4 | Born in Brazzaville, Chinese Congo | Raised in Kinshasa, Chinese Congo | Fluent In: French, Afrikaans, English, Cantonese

Yong Pilley | 24 | 189 lbs | 6'2 | Born in Jinan, Chinese Congo | Raised in Jinan, Chinese Congo | Fluent In: Mandarin, Cantonese, French, English

Kayin Di Fatta | 28 | 230 lbs | 6'6 | Born in Kabinda, Chinese Congo | Raised in Kabinda AFC | Fluent In: English, Spanish, Cantonese, Afrikaans | Favorite CCPL team: Lubumbashi AFC (what a traitor!)

Zan Sitterly | 21 | 195 lbs | 5'11 | Born in Zhoucun, Chinese Congo | Raised in Zhoucun, Chinese Congo | Fluent In: Hindi, Cantonese, Korean, English

-- And that's a wrap! --

[TJUN-ia]

We're back in Riverside for one of the biggest games in the history of TJUN-ian basketball as the Hoops-Jags host the 8th seeded Valanora Dragons at the Unity Centre. The Jaguars enter Match 6 2-3 while the Dragons remained undefeated as 5-0. The first game was a 31-point trouncing by Valanora, and the main focus for the team was to not allow that to happen again, especially in front of a ravenous fanbase that looked for some sense of revenge.

The "Jungle Boyz", the official fan club of TJUN-ian Basketball, collaborated with the BFT to declare this game a "sky-blue-out". That showed as everyone in attendance was wearing sky blue, except for the contingent of Vanorians who were here to cheer on their Dragons. The Jaguars were also in sky blue, with the orange trim, while Valanora were in their road colours of white and dark blue.

The first 2 periods were a tight affair. It was mainly a dual between Travarius Okuramangawa and Amelia Norberg to see who can create the most scoring opportunities. Norberg was 8 years senior but Okuramangawa played very close to her tally, despite his inexperience. The Dragons were better overall, however, and entered the half 50-48 up.

The 3rd was just as tight with Okuramangawa and Norberg the stars once again, but it was the 4th that would put this game into legend. In the past 5 games, the Dragons put up a defensive masterclass with their "half-court press" stifling opposition offensive play. So the team had been practising a counter-tactic to try and break through the press, what the coaches called "the QuickDraw". As soon as the team regained possession, they would shoot the ball down the court as fast as possible. This would go over the defence and into the arms of a sprinting Small Forward to score a bucket or to a Shooting Guard to try and pop in a quick 3. It can also be used to try and steal the ball off defenders and try to score points as quickly as possible.

With Adamo Zamenhofo brought into the game, the QuickDraw was realised. Whenever the ball went out of bounds, Travarius would pass it quickly to either Zamenhofo or DeMarcus Winston and (4 out of 5 times) they would score. When the usually dominant Dragons tried to counter with some offence, it would (most of the time) be stolen by Jean-Jacques Mpolando, would pass it quickly to instigate the offence. It was such a wildcard type of strategy that the Dragons simply didn't know how to counter it, and it showed on the scoreboard. The Dragons scored 5, the Jaguars 23, in the final quarter.

As the final buzzer blew the team celebrated like they had won the IBC itself, some of them in tears as their masterplan had actually worked. Most of the fans stormed the court to celebrate with the team. That might mean a fine for the BFT but at that moment no one cared: the debuting Jaguars had slain the 8th seeded Dragons in Riverside and by god, was it a shock to many.

Next game is at bottom-team Preiva, who finally managed to win a game tonight by beating Nouveau Quebecois. The Jags are now at 500 and only a game back behind Sarzonia. This tournament is certainly on for the Hoops-Jags. GO JAGS!

SCHEDULE
MD1: @Valanora (8) L 54-85 (6th [Point Differencial])
MD2: vs Preiva (UR) - Unity Center, Riverside W 79-77 (5th [Point Differencial])
MD3: @Nouveau Quebecois (UR) W 68-64 (3rd [Point Differencial])
MD4: @Xanneria (23) L 74-76 (3rd [H2H])
MD5: vs Sarzonia (82) - Unity Center, Riverside L 76-91 (4th [H2H])
---------------------Rest Day-------------------
MD6: vs Valanora (8) - Unity Center, Riverside W 93-75 (4th [H2H])
MD7: @Preiva
MD8: vs Nouveau Quebecois (UR) - Unity Center, Riverside
MD9: vs Xannaria (23) - Unity Center, Riverside
MD10: @Sarzonia (82) - The Palestra, Woodstock