CBA weekly

March 13, 2007 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release

CBA ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO PLAYOFF FORMAT

Playoffs will now be one round, Conference champions play for Jay Ramsdell Trophy

The Continental Basketball Association has announced that there will be a modification to the playoff format this season.

Due to the lack of available arena dates amongst the member teams that would potentially qualify in the previous playoff format, the CBA has decided to switch to the following playoff format for the CBA playoffs and the right to play for the Jay Ramsdell Championship Trophy this spring.

The playoff qualifiers will consist of the two conference champions meeting in a five game series to decide the CBA Championship. The first two games will be played at the arena of the team with the lower amount of quarter points earned in the regular season, while the other team will host Games #3, #4 (if necessary) and #5 (if necessary). The winner will receive the Jay Ramsdell Trophy, symbolic of the league's playoff champion.

"This is an unfortunate turn of events that is regrettably out of our control as a league," said CBA Director of Operations Dennis Truax. "We were unable to secure the necessary dates from our member teams arenas to stage the playoffs in their full format as voted upon at the Winter League Meetings. Our teams decided that this was the best solution to the problem, having the divisional champions meeting in a best of five series to decide the CBA Championship."

Along with the change in the playoff schedule, the CBA League Office has made a final decision regarding the postponed February 15 contest between Pittsburgh Xplosion and the Albany Patroons. Due to the lack of available dates to play the contest, both teams will be awarded 3.5-quarter points each for the cancelled contest. The Xplosion will be awarded the victory, as they are the designated home team.

DID YOU KNOW?

The CBA first instituted a 25-foot 3-point arc in the 1964-65 season, two years before the ABA added a 3-point line to its scoring options. That season, Brendan McCann of the Allentown Jets was the CBA's first 3-point champion, when he scored 31 3-pointers. From 1968 to 1980, the league's 3-point champion was either Stan Pawlak (1967-73, 74-75) or Rich Cornwall (1973-74, 1975-80). In the 1989-90 season, Jose Slaughter of the Quad City Thunder became the first CBA player to score over 100 3-pointers in a season (139).

PLAYOFF SCENARIO:

Jay Ramsdell Championship Finals: (Albany-Minot) v. Yakama; games 1 and 2 at either Washington Avenue Armory, Albany, N.Y. or Minot Municipal Auditorium, Minot, N.D.; remaining games at SunDome, Yakima, Wash.

MAGIC NUMBERS AS OF MARCH 12, 2007:

FOR YAKAMA TO CLAIM HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE IN THE PLAYOFFS: 17.5 QP's over Albany and 21 QP's over Minot

FOR MINOT TO CLAIM AMERICAN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP AND PLAYOFF BERTH: 45 QP's over Albany

YAKAMA SUN KINGS WIN NATIONAL CONFERENCE TITLE

Franchise will defend 2005-06 title in Championship Finals; Coach Paul Woolpert earns 200th career CBA coaching victory

With their 93-72 victory over the Great Falls Explorers on Saturday, March 10, the Continental Basketball Association's Yakama Sun Kings have clinched the 2006-2007 CBA National Conference title, and will play for the Jay Ramsdell CBA Championship trophy for the fifth time in franchise history. The team previously won the CBA playoff trophy in 1995, 2000, 2003 and 2006, and is the only franchise since 1979 to win four league playoff championships.

The Sun Kings, currently on a nine-game winning streak, have compiled a 30-9 regular season record, with 198 quarter-points earned. Quarter-points, which determine a team's playoff seedings, are earned with victories (3 quarter points per win) and a quarter-point for each quarter in which a team outscores its opponent. Yakama's current 4.96 quarter-point average is the third highest achieved quarter-point average since the CBA instituted the quarter-point system at the start of the 1981-82 season. Only the Albany Patroons have achieved a higher quarter-point seasonal average, having accomplished this feat in the 1987-88 (48-6, 5.43 quarter-point average) and 1990-91 (50-6, 5.16 quarter-point average) seasons.

The 93-72 victory also gave Sun Kings head coach Paul Woolpert his 200th career CBA coaching victory; Woolpert is one of only ten CBA head coaches since 1979 to achieve this mark. Woolpert was named CBA Coach of the MOnth for January 2007; he also coached the CBA National Conference All-Stars to a 134-131 overtime victory in the 2007 CBA All-Star Classic. The Sun Kings' lineup includes four All-Stars; center Chris Alexander (12.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg), forward Galen Young (15.5 ppg, 7.0 assists per game, 7.6 rpg), forward Rocky Walls (9.4 rpg, 7.1 ppg) and guard Ralph Holmes (19.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg).

With seven games still left on the Sun Kings' schedule, Yakama still has a chance to earn home-court advantage in the best-of-five championship finals. Any combination of 27.5 Sun Kings quarter-point wins, or 27.5 quarter-point losses by the two teams in the American Conference, the Albany Patroons and the Minot Skyrockets, will assure Yakama of hosting the final three home games of the best-of-five championship finals.

The Yakama Sun Kings originally entered the CBA in the 1985-86 season as the Kansas City Sizzlers. After one season in Kansas City, the franchise relocated to Topeka, where the team played for four years as the Topeka Sizzlers. At the start of the 1990-91 season, the franchise moved to Yakima, Washington, where it was renamed as the Yakima Sun Kings. Prior to the 2005-06 season, the franchise was purchased by the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and the team's name was changed to the Yakama Sun Kings, to reflect the new owners' cultural history.

YAKAMA SUN KINGS TO HOST CBA ALL-STAR CLASSIC IN 2008

Record-breaking fourth visit to the SunDome

The Yakama Sun Kings will host the 2008 CBA All-Star Classic on January 22, 2008, as recently reported by the Yakima Herald-Republic.

This will be the fourth time the Sun Kings have hosted the CBA's annual showcase of talent; having played the All-Star Classic at the SunDome in 1992, 1997 and 2004. The announcement breaks a four-way tie for most times a team or city has hosted the event; Sioux Falls, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre have hosted the Classic three times apiece.

Ralph Sampson, chairman of the Overall Economic Committee for the Yakama Nation, which owns the Sun Kings, made the announcement to the SunDome crowd at halftime of Sunday's game against Minot.

Butte, Montana hosted the 2007 CBA All-Star Classic, which was won by Yakama head coach Paul Woolpert's National Conference team, 134-131 in overtime.

ROCKY WALLS NAMED CBA PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Yakama forward was top rebound man in Sun Kings' 5-0 run

The Continental Basketball Association is pleased to announce that Rocky Walls has earned CBA Player of the Week honors for the week ending March 12th. Walls is the third Sun King to earn this honor, joining fellow All-Stars Galen Young (Dec. 11) and Chris Alexander (Dec. 18) in receiving this weekly award.

The 6'8" forward from Oral Roberts University was a veritable rebounding machine, grabbing 62 rebounds in Yakama's last five wins. Walls' rebound acquisitions included a 16-board game on Tuesday, March 6, which helped Yakama defeat the Minot Skyrockets 101-95 [5.5-1.5]. Walls also grabbed 14 boards in a March 9th 100-78 [7-0] Yakama win over Great Falls, and a season-high 18 rebounds in a Sunday night Yakama 93-72 [7-0] win over Great Falls that earned the Sun Kings the National Conference regular season title.

Other players receiving consideration for Player of the Week honors are:

Jamario Moon, Albany

Odell Bradley, Butte

Malik Moore, Great Falls

Chandler Thompson, Indiana

Ray Cunningham, Minot

Lewis Monroe, Pittsburgh

TEAM REPORTS

Albany Patroons (26-16, 170.5 QP,4.16 AVG, 2nd place, American Conference)

On a chilly Tuesday night in the Washington Avenue Armory, the Albany Patroons heated up against their in-conference rivals, the Indiana Alley Cats, taking a 125-114 [6.5-0.5] victory and moving back into first place in the American Conference. Kareem Reid led the Pats with 31 points, including shooting 11-15 from the floor and 9-11 from the free-throw line; Reid also dished out 7 assists. Jamario Moon added 21 points; John Strickland brought 19 to the scoreboard; Kwan Johnson had three key steals for Albany. Albany stretched their winning streak to five games with a Wednesday night victory over the Butte Daredevils, 119-110 [6-1]. Kwan Johnson dropped 27 points on the Daredevils, leading all Pats in scoring; Jamario Moon's 25 points included four slams in the third quarter and 3-5 shooting from behind the arc; Moon also had four steals on the night. In Albany's Friday night matchup against the Daredevils, Albany looked to cruse to another victory, and at one point had a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter - until the Daredevils came back and tied the game at 118 apiece. But it was John Strickland's key field goal with 22 seconds left in overtime that gave the Patroons a 130-128 [5-2] victory, their sixth win in a row. Kwan Johnson led the Pats with 35 points and 11 rebounds; Jamario Moon had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and four steals for the Pats. Albany's six-game winning streak came to an end on Monday night, as Minot defeated the Patroons 91-86 [5-2] in a battle of the top two American Conference teams. Jamario Moon's double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds led all Pats in that category; Kareem Reid distributed nine assists in the Albany loss.

Butte Daredevils (18-24, 133.0 QP, 3.10 AVG, 3rd place, National Conference)

Butte's first visit to the Washington Avenue Armory this season did not go well for the franchise; the Daredevils lost to Albany 119-110 [6-1] Wednesday night. Despite 30 points from Ron Ross on 15-for-20 shooting from the floor, the Daredevils could only take the final quarter point 35-25 to avoid a 7-0 sweep. Odell Bradley added 26 points; Nick VanderLaan added ten more rebounds to his seasonal stats. In the Friday night rematch against the Patroons, it looked as if Butte would take another humiliating loss - until the Daredevils outscored Albany 36-21 in the final quarter to force overtime. Eventually Albany prevailed, 130-128 [5-2], but the Daredevils almost stole a victory from the American Conference leaders. Odell Bradley had the hot hand on the floor for the Daredevils with 31 points on the nigh, including going 7-7 from the free throw linet; Nick VanderLaan added 11 more rebounds to his league lead. The Daredevils then took a flight to Minot to play the Skyrockets the very next day, but the travel-weary Copper City crew could not hold back the Skyrockets, losing 109-83 [7-0]. Ronald Ross' 20 points led the Daredevils; Nick VanderLaan's 14 boards gave him 472 boards in 41 games, for a 11.5 RPG average.

Great Falls Explorers (21-22, 144.0 QP, 3.35 AVG, 2nd place, National Conference)

In a series that could decide the fate of the Explorers' postseason run, Great Falls traveled to the SunDome on Wednesday night to face the Yakama Sun Kings. However, Yakama held on for a 104-95 6-1] victory, despite the efforts of Jamar Howard (16 points), and 14 points each from Harold "The Show" Arceneaux, Keith Salscheider and Malik Moore. While the Explorers did well in the second and third quarters, their first and fourth quarters were lost by scores of 25-19 and 23-19. Great Falls stayed at the Sun Dome for a Friday-Saturday two-game series, but were shut out in two consecutive matches, 100-78 [7-0] on Friday night, and 93-72 [7-0] on Saturday evening. In Friday night's matchup, Malik Moore led the Explorers with 21 points; Marc Mazur added 7 rebounds. On Saturday night's game, Javon Harris (16 points) and Malik Moore (14 points) were the only Explorers to earn double-digit scoring figures; Jamar Howard had eight rebounds; Javon Harris had four steals. The Explorers faced Yakama one more time in the week; earning a Monday night 96-85 [6-1] loss at the SunDome. Keith Salscheider's 22 points were tops for the Blue and White; Marc Mazur had 12 rebounds in the Explorers loss.

Indiana Alley Cats (21-21, 143.5 QP, 3.42 AVG, 3rd place, American Conference)

The Alley Cats returned to Albany on Tuesday night, but could not hold back the charging Patroons, losing 125-114 [6.5-0.5]. Carl Edwards was the top scorer for the Cats, with 34 points from 14-23 from the floor and 5-8 from the stripe. Veteran Alley Cat Chandler Thompson had 24 points on the night, including hitting 3 of four 3-pointers to show the youngsters how to get the job done. Indiana then went home to the Wigwam to host the Pittsburgh Xplosion; however, the Cats could not hold back the surging Steel City quintet, and lost 109-102 [6-1]. Josh Murray led the Cats with 28 points; Chandler Thompson's 15 points were matched with 11 rebounds. The Alley Cats were able to give the fans a home victory on Sunday night, defeating the Pittsburgh Xplosion 129-120 [4.5-2.5] in overtime at the Anderson Wigwam. Carl Edwards and Shaun Fountain offered up a one-two punch against the Xplosion, as both men combined for 75 of the Alley Cats' 129 points (Edwards had 40 points; Fountain notched 35). The duo combined to shoot 29-45 from the field in the Indiana victory.

Minot Skyrockets (27-14, 170.5 QP, 4.16 AVG, 1st place, American Conference)

In their Tuesday night rematch with the Sun Kings, Minot turned on the jets in the early minutes, taking the first quarter 29-26 and ending the half tied at 57 apiece. But after their initial burst, the Skyrockets could not continue their run, and were grounded by the Sun Kings 101-95 [5.5-1.5]. Desmond Ferguson led both teams with 29 points, and added three more 3-pointers to bring his season total to 137, sixth seasonal best in CBA history. Kenyon Gamble led the Rockets with 9 rebounds; Jitim Young dished out five assists for the Magic City side. The Skyrockets then hosted the Butte Daredevils on Saturday night, and the Magic City crew soundly whipped a road-weary Butte 109-83 [7-0]. David Harrison added another double-double to his collection, with 20 points and 12 rebounds; Desmond Ferguson's three 3-pointers gave him 140 on the season, only 35 treys away from his own personal season high of 175. The Skyrockets wore special pink uniforms that night as fundraiser for the American Cancer Society; the jerseys were later autographed and auctioned off, raising over $3,000 for the charity. Minot then hosted Albany on Monday night in a battle of the top two American Conference squads. The Magic City quintet took the closely contested matchup 91-86 [5-2], Game honors went to Ray Cunningham, who led Minot with a team-high 23 points, as well as grabbing five rebounds and blocking two shots. He also threw down three huge monster dunks in the third quarter.

Pittsburgh Xplosion (8-34, 91.5 QP, 2.18 AVG, 4th place, American Conference)

Despite the loss of Pittsburgh's Kevin Pittsnogle, who went home for the rest of the season to heal his sore elbow, the Xplosion added another victory to their record, achieving a 109-102 [6-1] triumph over the Indiana Alley Cats. Six of Pittsburgh's seven players on the floor finished the game scoring in double figures, led by Robert Griffin's 28 markers; Lewis Monroe and Corey Minnifield added 21 points apiece. Griffin also had nine assists on the night; Lawrence Baker led the Xplosion with 9 rebounds. Pittsburgh was not able to continue their winning streak, losing Sunday night at the Wigwam to the Alley Cats, 129-120 [4.5-2.5] in overtime. Seven members of the Black and Gold scored in double figures, including Corey Minnifield (22), Rob Griffin (21), and Lewis Monroe, whose 17 points were balanced with a CBA seasonal game-high 14 assists. The February Xplosion-Patroons game that was postponed due to poor weather conditions has been marked as a Pittsburgh victory, with both Pittsburgh and Albany splitting the 7 quarter points down the middle, 3.5 for each team.

Yakama Sun Kings (31-9, 199.5 QP, 4.99 AVG, 1st place, National Conference)

The Sun Kings extended their winning streak to six games in their Tuesday night home matchup with the Minot Skyrockets. Going into the half tied at 57 apiece, the Sun Kings poured it on for a 101-95 [5.5-1.5] victory in the SunDome. Ralph Holmes was one of four Sun Kings to score in double digits, with his 26 points leading the team. Center Rocky Walls also had a strong night, with 16 rebounds; his low post compatriot, Chris Alexander, pulled down nine boards of his own. Yakama next hosted Great Falls on Wednesday night, and continued their domination of their National Conference opponent, winning 104-95 [6-1]. Ralph Holmes led the Sun Kings with 27 points, then was rested in the fourth quarter. Galen Young added ten assists on the night; while Greg Stevenson put in 18 points and 6 rebounds. In two more contests against the Explorers, Yakama earned back-to-back 7-0 shutouts, starting with a 100-78 [7-0] victory on Friday night, with Elvin Mims leading his team with 17 points; Rocky Walls yanking down 14 rebounds, and Galen Young dishing out 12 assists; then 24 hours later, Yakama smacked open a 93-72 [7-0] victory that locked the Sun Kings into the CBA finals for the fifth time in franchise history; the team also earned its second consecutive National Conference championship; and garnered Paul Woolpert his 200th CBA coaching win. The Sun Kings individual scoring was balanced; with Jason Forte one of six Yakama players to score in double figures (he led the team with 16 points); Rocky Walls had a career night with 18 rebounds. Another victory for the Sun Kings came on Monday night, with a 96-85 [6-1] home victory over Great Falls. Before Great Falls took the second quarter of the game 26-18 for the Explorers' only quarter-point of the contest, the Sun Kings had won 10 straight quarters in a row, two shy of the league record for consecutive quarters won (12, Albany 2nd quarter 2/21/88 - 2nd quarter 2/24/88). Galen Young had 18 points for Albany; Rocky Walls and Chris Alexander snatched 9 boards apiece; Eddy Barlow's 15 points included 3 treys.

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Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from March 13, 2007

• Pittsburgh surprises conference-leading Minot, 108-104 - Pittsburgh Xplosion
• CBA weekly - CBA 1
• Rocky Walls named CBA Player of the Week - CBA 1

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