Week Three Results

[CHris902]

Huge week in the PBL with some big match ups including, but not limited to:

Wilmington v. Rochester
Vermont v. Rochester
Halifax v. Vermont
Halifax v. Manchester
Manchester v. Halifax
Augusta v. Battle Creek

Wilmington beat Rochester already and Vermont lost to Manchester. I feel like after this week we'll have an okay idea of how good teams actually are? (i.e. are Battle Creek really as good as their record suggests? Are Vermont just having trouble with Manchester or is this not going to be their season? Can Halifax play against teams that aren't from Canada?)

[The Sweeper]

At the half, it is Vermont 56 Halifax 46.

[CHris902]

3:20 left in the third and Vermont are up 69-66..
I am listening to the game online and there's me writing updates and a conversation about the game happening here. (http://rainmenblog.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/live-blog-vermont-v-halifax)

[CHris902]

107-99 for Vermont. It was down to one with less than two minutes left but Vermont hit the outside shots down the stretch. It was a fun game to listen to.

[admiral2866]

Hey didn,t Battle Creek beat Wilmington. I think if they win tonight they should be the team to beat

[CHris902]

They're 3-0 but they've only played two teams, I think that they're currrently the team to beat but if they take out Augusta I think they cement their spot at the top of the league.

[LightningMan]

Hey didn,t Battle Creek beat Wilmington. I think if they win tonight they should be the team to beat
Yes, Battle Creek did beat Wilmington.

[CHris902]

Battle Creek beat Detroit 109-101... Still undefeated.

[psbf]

1,305 in Battle Creek for Knights win. Nothing from Augusta.

[tbayz1]

Augusta defeats Buffalo, 135-124.

By looking at the play-by-play stats looked to be a pretty close game with single digit leads the whole game until mid-4th quarter where it looks like my Stampede just ran out of gas and got behind, started to chip away, but couldn't get stops, Augusta kept scoring.

Augusta appears to be a pretty high scoring team that plays up and down and can run all day. They are now 3-1 and ahead in the division. My Stampede fall to 1-2 along with Rochester and Wilmington is 2-2. Pretty competative so far. Still early in the season, Rochester will improve, hope my Stampede can do the same.


Augusta versus Battle Creek should be an awesome game on Monday the 19th! Augusta is 3-1 and Battle Creek now 4-0, the PBL's two top teams!

[psbf]

According to their newspaper 'Augusta Chrinicle' the Groove drew nearly a full house to their opener(2,312), but half of that last night against Buffalo(still pretty good).

[not so fast]

rashi johnson continues to dominate the league. He is right now the best player in the PBL!

[misenern]

Halifax and Manchester is now being webcast live.

[The Sweeper]

The Manchester Millrats claimed first place in the Atlantic Division of the Premier Basketball League by dismantling the Halifax Rainmen 117-98 in Manchester.

[tbayz1]

Manchester over Halifax, 117-98.

At the half, Buffalo over Wilmington 47-39. After being down by double digits and a slow start against the Dawgs with fresh legs my Stampede have managed to climb back and take the lead.

I'm watching the game online, I paid the $5 through Penn Atlantic and its a good game. Very nice crowd on hand as well.

[psbf]

Whatever happened to free webcasts? Is our economy that bad now?

[tbayz1]

Wilmington over Buffalo, 103-95.

After a strong comeback in the first half my Stampede took a lead into the break. Then in the third, Wilmington continued to fight back and cut the deficit, eventually allowing them to take the lead by 4 points at the end of the third. They got help from their 3 ball. Then in the fourth Wilmington kept rolling making their shots while it appeared my Stampede just ran out of gas. They got beat a few times in transition after a missed shot, started fouling, and got behind. They attempted to fight back, but it was too late. Wilmington kept a stronghold on their lead and ending up sealing the deal with the 8 point victory.

Wilmington has responded very well after the 0-2 start and has won 3 straight against all divisional opponents, Buffalo, Augusta, and Rochester. They are playing solid defense and starting to gel together as a team and it appears that its paid off.

My Stampede had a rough weekend, two competative games that got away from them at the end against two good teams. We did have 2 players that did not make the trip, one guard, a solid all around player, Charles Easterling who has been a spark for us off the bench is injured, and our back up point guard Nick Perioli left the team. Both guys would have been helpful to have for this weekend's trip but are no excuses for losses. Again, we just have to go back to work and learn how to play well from start to finish, inconsistancy is plaguing us. Our defense and shooting has improved, but you will only win if you can keep up your game for all 48 minutes, something we've struggled with on this roadtrip.

In the Eastern division though, all teams are undefeated at home with losses only coming on the road so far.

Augusta remains on top with a 3-1 record, with their only loss to Wilmington and wins over Rochester, Buffalo, and Mid-Michigan. Wilmington improves to 3-2 with losses to Buffalo and Battle Creek, and wins over Rochester, Augusta, and Buffalo. Rochester stays at 1-2, with losses to Augusta and Wilmington, and a win over Buffalo. They play the Heaves at home on Monday. And finally Buffalo has losses to Rochester, Augusta, and Wilmington, and a win over Wilmington.

Its still early in the season and the division is looking pretty competative. Another good weekend for the PBL!

[LightningMan]

Then in the fourth Wilmington kept rolling making their shots while it appeared my Stampede just ran out of gas.
It wasn't lack of gas, dude. It was Dawg D. And I mean that sincerely, no trash talk. When your guys became the aggressors on defense, you took the lead, when Wilmington became the aggressors, they took it back.

[tbayz1]

It wasn't lack of gas, dude. It was Dawg D. And I mean that sincerely, no trash talk. When your guys became the aggressors on defense, you took the lead, when Wilmington became the aggressors, they took it back.

I should have mentioned that in my previous post. Wilmington's defense does deserve a lot of credit and manipulated our offense at times. Wilmington really stepped up in the second half led by Cedric being the beast that he is. Just appeared to me though as the game kept going, Wilmington kept playing better and was fresher. Still fatigue is no excuse for tonights loss, the Stampede let the lead slip away and Wilmington didn't. They stepped up their game and finished out strong.

Our season series is now 1-1 LightningMan! Our teams will meet again on the 31st! After two pretty competative games, the third one should be another treat! :)

[tbayz1]

LM, now that you've seen every team in our division how would you rank them from you're stand point and opinions, setting records and stats on paper aside.
I've yet to see Augusta play so I can't give you my complete thoughts and opinions until next weekend.

[CHris902]

Whatever happened to free webcasts? Is our economy that bad now?

Rochester are video webcast on Monday and there was radio of Vermont v. Halifax, and video of Manchester v. Halifax webcast for free as well this weekend. Two games on video and one on internet radio isn't bad at all.

[tbayz1]

Rochester are video webcast on Monday and there was radio of Vermont v. Halifax, and video of Manchester v. Halifax webcast for free as well this weekend. Two games on video and one on internet radio isn't bad at all.

Plus I think all teams now are doing their stats live so you can also follow games that way.

[psbf]

Good to hear. Now if I can just get it to work.

[LightningMan]

LM, now that you've seen every team in our division how would you rank them from you're stand point and opinions, setting records and stats on paper aside.
I've yet to see Augusta play so I can't give you my complete thoughts and opinions until next weekend.
Let's start with a caveat, which is that while I saw Rochester, I am not convinced that what I saw was typical of Rochester. However, it is what I saw and therefore what I will base things on.

Augusta is probably the team to beat, however of the four teams in the division they seem to be the most of the one man gang variety. If you can minimize Millien you can beat Augusta IMO.

I would say Augusta doesn't like to play D. I would say that Rochester and Wilmington do like to play D and Buffalo can play D. Everyone has a load at center except Wilmington, who really plays power forwards at the position. Wilmington and Buffalo appear to be the quickest teams. Rochester appears to be the physically toughest.

This division will be close all year, but the other teams shouldn't judge how well they will do against them by their final records. These teams will beat each other up all year.

[heatht]

Everyone seemed to be quick to write off Manchester...but they are now in first place in the Atlantic Division after defeating favorites Vermont (twice) and Halifax. They are very strong defensively holding teams to 94 points per game.

Coach Spon has them playing well. They play Montreal and Quebec again this weekend - the teams that beat them the first weekend, and I expect Manchester will be looking for payback. Plus 6'10 Darden didn't play opening weekend neither did new additions Salscheider, Lincoln Glass, and Tommy Mitchell.

It's going to be a war with Vermont at Rochester tomorrow! Can't wait to watch that one either.

[CHris902]

Augusta is probably the team to beat, however of the four teams in the division they seem to be the most of the one man gang variety. If you can minimize Millien you can beat Augusta IMO.

I am not sure how you minimize Millien, though - they throw three three point shooters out on the floor with him, or when they go with their back up centre he's surrounded by four guys who can knock down shots if you double him. He is too quick for centres to guard and his jumping ability/length make him a hard match up for power forwards. Halifax managed to at least slow him down by putting David Bailey on him (very athletic 6'8 power forward) who fronted him a lot to try to prevent the pass into the post and then sending early double teams as soon as the pass went in, which had some success, but slowing him down meant that the rest of the team lit Halifax up. But he's athletic enough to punish you by catching the lob over the top or grabbing an offensive rebound.

The centres on the team are both above average man to man defenders so it frees him up from tough assignments defending in the post. (Which also means he can come for blocks off of the ball)

I'm not saying you can't neutralize the guy, but no one has come up with a plan yet. Teams will need to come up with some sort of gimmic defense take him out of games. But his stats as of now are absurd:
31 ppg
11.5 rpg
2 bpg
70% from the field
82% from the free throw line

add only 1.3 turnovers per game for a guy who scores as much as he does and things are just absurd.

I am sure someone will solve him, but I am interested to see how they do it.

[tbayz1]

Good evaluation LM! I think its going to develop into a tight race in our division, should be really fun to watch!! Can't wait for next weekend already! Win or lose, watching the Stampede play are fun and entertaining, as long as they don't get blown out though ;) However, I really believe anyone can beat anyone on any given night. Thats why I'm starting to wonder what the playoff structure will be this year, its so competative, you almost want to see everyone make it just to watch more basketball. Seems though so far, every game is like a playoff game, its do or die!

As far as Millien, Buffalo held him to 24 points, but they still scored 135 points, so I think that he has some good role players around him that can really kill you. I'm looking foward to seeing this team in person next Saturday, by the sounds of it, they can run all day long.

[tbayz1]

Final game today, Chicago beat Detroit, 119-107 in OT.

[ABA Champs times 2]

Everyone seemed to be quick to write off Manchester...but they are now in first place in the Atlantic Division after defeating favorites Vermont (twice) and Halifax. They are very strong defensively holding teams to 94 points per game.

Coach Spon has them playing well. They play Montreal and Quebec again this weekend - the teams that beat them the first weekend, and I expect Manchester will be looking for payback. Plus 6'10 Darden didn't play opening weekend neither did new additions Salscheider, Lincoln Glass, and Tommy Mitchell.

It's going to be a war with Vermont at Rochester tomorrow! Can't wait to watch that one either.
Yeh, Manchester can beat Halifax and VT (the 2 stronger teams) but they also can't seem to beat Montreal or Quebec (the 2 weaker teams). Go figure.

[CHris902]

The streak is over - 113-110 Vermont over Rochester. I just saw the fourth quarter but it was great. Congrats to the 'Heaves!

[CHris902]

Battle Creek are now 5-0. They defeated Augusta 107-98 despite 38 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks for Millien.