Oklahoma Cavalry win CBA Championship
March 30, 2008 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release
ALBANY, NY (March 30, 2008) - The CBA completed its 62nd season of play tonight with the Oklahoma Cavalry winning the CBA Championship by defeating the Minot Skyrockets in the deciding fifth game of the CBA Playoffs, 86-76 and captured the Jay Ramsdell Trophy in the process. Due to his stellar play throughout the CBA Finals series, Brandon Dean was awarded the CBA Playoffs Most Valuable Player award.
The Cavalry are the first expansion team to win a CBA Championship since the Dakota Wizards won the CBA Championship in the 2001-02 season. The Cavalry's win also returns the CBA Championship to the state of Oklahoma for the first time since the 1996-97 season. Michael Ray Richardson becomes the fourth former NBA player to win a CBA Championship as a head coach, joining Phil Jackson, Cazzie Russell, and Henry Bibby.
The Cavalry opened up a 24-19 first quarter lead but were unable to hold the lead as the Skyrockets came back to lead at the half, 45-42. In the final 24 minutes of the CBA season, the Cavalry dominated Minot. They held the Skyrockets to only 29% shooting from the field and they grabbed 56 rebounds to the 39 from Minot. The Cavalry had 60 out of their 86 points in the paint and had 19 second chance points.
Shawn Daniels had a monster fifth game for the Cavalry. He had a game high 23 points and 16 rebounds for Oklahoma. CBA Player of the Year Daryan Selvy had 22 points and Dean had 14 points. CBA Defensive Player of the Year Marvin Phillips had 13 rebounds in the win. Kevin Johnson had 14 points for the Skyrockets in the loss. Lee Scruggs had 13 points, and Ronnie Fields had 12 points for the American Conference Champions.
"This was a great series by both teams," said CBA Deputy Commissioner Dennis Truax. "The Cavalry played the best when it mattered most and were able to capture the championship. My congratulations go out to the ownership group of the Cavalry, general manager Otis Birdsong, and head coach Michael Ray Richardson and all of the players and staff of the Cavalry for a fine season. I also want to congratulate the Minot Skyrockets organization for a fine season as well."
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