Sarzonia walking into Xanneria's home court and pulling off a shockingly easy 90-66 victory over the multiverse's 23rd ranked team wasn't even the biggest upset in Group G.
Unranked TJUN-ia shocked the previously undefeated Dragons 93-75 in Valanora, dropping the group's highest ranked side to 5-1 and just one game ahead of the Stars in the table. For Thomas Manningham, the fact that a likely angry Dragons team will be hosting the Stars is a major concern.
"We know we're going to get their best shot," Manningham said. "We have to wary of them."
Against Xanneria, the Stars got 29 points and seven rebounds from Mike West, who played ten minutes of the first half at power forward as Sarzonia used its small lineup to go on a 15-3 run that seized control of the match. In the second half, reserve centre Terry Rutledge played 17 of the 20 minutes, grabbing nine of his 10 rebounds and scoring all eight of his points.
Manningham said Rutledge would get the start against Valanora.
"Nothing against Cal, but Rutter has been a dominant player inside for us and we want to have more of an intimidation factor in the post," Manningham said. Centre Calvin Baker declined to comment on the move, saying that was a coaching decision. Privately, however, Baker was furious, said a team source who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private deliberations within the team.
"He feels like Manningham is making him an example, a scapegoat, and for what? We're 4-2 and we're only a game out of being level for first place in the group table."
After Sarzonia plays the Valanora match, they will return to The Palestra to face unranked Prieva. Arena officials have been advised that the city of Woodstock had declined the venue's request to reopen for fans, dismissing a request for even an extreme social distancing seating plan that could have placed up to 900 spectators into a venue with a seating capacity of 21,730.
Mayor Claudia Alta said the city was still discussing the ongoing treatments provided to people who contacted the SARS 2 novel Coronavirus and the potential vaccine developed by Delaclav scientists. She said she had Sarzonian surgeon general Linda Carswell "on speed dial," but said Carswell hadn't advised her it was safe to open the doors to The Palestra or any other sporting venues just yet.
"If we're going to open the doors, we have to do it in a responsible way, one that manages risks," Alta said. "We have contingency plans in place if we see a new spike in infections and plans in place to manage the gradual reopening of our economy."
A source familiar with the negotiations within the Surgeon General's office suggested that The Palestra would be able to hold up to 900 spectators for the group stage finale against TJUN-ia, but added that aggressive testing would take place along with tracking and extreme isolation of anyone infected by the virus in order to prevent its spread.
Note: Cliff Stanley, the former supervisor of Fleetwood Park auxiliary staff during the last World Baseball Classic when the Sarzonian national baseball team qualified for the knockout rounds in Drawkland, died Friday night from complications of the virus.
Stanley was fired by stadium officials after referring to the virus as the "Wuchang novel Coronavirus. His lawsuit contending that his termination violated Article VI of the Sarzonian constitution was dismissed by a Woodstock magistrate judge, who said the argument "didn't hold water." Stanley was 39.
