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December 27, 2007 - Continental Basketball Association 1 (CBA 1) News Release


MINOT STOPS YAKAMA'S 14-GAME WIN STREAK, 92-89

14-0 start by Sun Kings best by CBA team in 17 years

On December 21, 2007, the Minot Skyrockets ended the Yakama Sun Kings' winning streak with a 92-89 [5.5-1.5] win at the Yakima Valley SunDome. The Sun Kings, who had a double-digit lead against the Magic City quintet at halftime 51-40, watched as Minot ran off a 14-4 third-quarter start to swing the lead toward the visitors. With 44 seconds on the clock and Minot holding on to a slim 90-89 lead, John Strickland was fouled. After Strickland missed both free throws, Yakama called time-out with 14 seconds on the clock. Moochie Norris drove the lane, but his shot was stolen by Minot's Marshall Phillips, who got the ball to Sidney Holmes for a quick layup and the victory.

Yakama's 14-0 win streak ties the Albany Patroons' 14-0 streak that started their 1990-91 campaign. No team in the CBA's modern era has ever gone 15-0 to start a season. The only franchise to do so in the CBA/Eastern League's 62-year history was the 1968-69 Wilkes-Barre Barons, who assembled a 15-0 record en route to a 26-2 regular season mark and the 1969 playoff championship.

Counting a victory in the final game of last season, Yakama compiled a 15-game regular season unbeaten streak. The longest unbeaten streak in CBA history is 19 games, set by the 1987-88 Albany Patroons. Counting thirteen home victories in the 2006-07 season, Yakama put together a 20-game home unbeaten streak. The longest home unbeaten streak in CBA history is 28 games, set by the 1990-91 Albany Patroons.

JAMES "BOO" JACKSON NAMED AMERICAN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Miners forward keeps East Kentucky in playoff hunt

The Continental Basketball Association is pleased to announce that James "Boo" Jackson, a 6'9" forward from Eastern Michigan, was named CBA CBA American Conference Player of the Week for the week ending December 24, 2007. Jackson becomes the second Miner to be named Player of the Week; Josh Pace earned the honor on November 26.

The Miners' starting forward shined in what became a four games-in-five-nights run for the Miners, as they split two series with the Albany Patroons and the Pittsburgh Xplosion. In the Miners' 111-110 overtime victory over Albany, Jackson had 14 points; he would later add 18 points and 13 rebounds in the Miners' next game against the Patroons. Against Pittsburgh on Friday night, Jackson had 32 points and 10 rebounds; two nights later, Jackson's 20 points and 16 boards helped the Miners achieve a 21-point victory over the Xplosion. Jackson improved his totals in a Sunday night 103-82 home victory over Pittsburgh, notching 20 points and pulling down a franchise-record 18 boards.

Other players receiving consideration for Player of the Week include:

Carl Krauser, Pittsburgh; Marshall Phillips, Minot; Amal McCaskill, Albany; Zeck Marbury, Atlanta

JASON SASSER NAMED NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Second time Yakama forward has won award this season

The Continental Basketball Association is pleased to announce that the Yakama Sun Kings' Jason Sasser, a 6'7" forward from Texas Tech, was named CBA National Conference Player of the Week for the week ending December 24, 2007. This is the second time Sasser has received Player of the Week honors this season; he first received the award on December 10, 2007.

Sasser led all Sun Kings in scoring with 18 points in Yakama's 99-91 victory over the Minot Skyrockets, a win that gave Yakama a 14-0 record, tying the most wins to start a season in the CBA's modern era. In Yakama's December 21 loss to the Skyrockets, Sasser finished the game with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sasser would later lead the Sun Kings with 23 points in Yakama's third game of the week, a 125-75 demolishing of the Rio Grande Valley Silverados.

Sasser began his CBA career with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in 1996, and played with that team until 1999. He also was on the team that won the Gold Medal at the 1997 USA Tournament of the Americas, as well as the bronze medal at the 1998 FIBA World Championships. Prior to his time in Yakama, Sasser played for the 2002-03 Gary Steelheads.

Other players receiving consideration for Player of the Week include:

Rod Neeley, Rio Grande Valley; Jason Miller, Butte; Judson Stubbs, Oklahoma; Nate Johnson, Great Falls

CBA TEAM REPORTS

Albany Patroons (8-4, 51.5 QP, 4.3 AVG, 2nd place, American Conf.)

The Patroons' trip to East Kentucky for a two-game series with the Miners was hampered by a Nor'easter, which delayed and cancelled flights out of Albany International Airport. The Monday-Wednesday series at the East Kentucky Expo Center was rescheduled for a Wednesday-Thursday run. In Wednesday's opener, the Patroons saw an 11-point lead evaporate in the final minutes, and eventually lost to the Miners in overtime, 111-110 [4.5-2.5]. Amal McCaskill and Chad Timberlake each had 16 points apiece for the Patroons, McCaskill added 13 rebounds to the game; while Timberlake executed four steals in the contest. Jamaal Miller returned to the Patroons, wearing a Rip Hamilton-style face mask to protect his previously broken nose; he had two 3-pointers in the final minutes of regulation. In the Thursday rematch, Albany's bench outscored the Miners' bench 33-12, helping the Patroons win 103-100 [5.5-1.5]. Nat Burton led all Patroons in scoring with 26 points, going 10-15 from the floor. Center Amal McCaskill scored 22 points; he also pulled down 12 rebounds and added 5 assists to his totals. Included in the bench scoring was Albany's Jason "J-Bird" Williams, whose ten points included two first-half 3-pointers. Albany's final game of the week was a home contest against the visiting Oklahoma Cavalry. Despite the Cavalry dressing only seven players, Oklahoma actually took the first three quarters of their match with the Patroons, until Albany erased a 14-point deficit and defeated the Cavalry 104-99 [4-3]. With the score 90-94, Lucious Jordan ran down the court with the ball. As he went up for the basket, Oklahoma's Randy "White Chocolate" Gill fouled Jordan on the arm - the ball went in - and Jordan converted the three-point play. A few seconds later, an errant Oklahoma pass that went over midcourt was tracked down by Albany's Nat Burton, who took the uncontested layup for a 95-94 lead with 2:15 left. Amal McCaskill led all Patroons in scoring with 33 points; he also pulled down 13 boards and had three steals on the night. Nat Burton added 24 points of his own.

Atlanta Krunk (6-10, 45.0 QP, 2.8 AVG, 5th place, American Conf.)

The Atlanta Krunk traveled to Butte for a two-game series with the Daredevils. The Krunk lost the first game on Friday night, 117-92 [6.5-0.5], despite 27 points from Terrance Hunter to lead all Atlanta scorers. Zeck Marbury had 17 points for the Krunk; Andre Owens notched 11 rebounds to go with his 14 scores. The second match between the Krunk and the Daredevils took place on Saturday night at the Butte Civic Center, and despite four players scoring 20 points or more in the match - Andre Owens (25), Steve Thomas (23), Terrance Hunter (22) and Zeck Marbury (21), the Krunk came up short in a 117-92 [5.5-1.5] loss. Thomas also had 18 rebounds for the Krunk. Terrance Hunter went to the foul line 17 times, making 12 shots from the stripe.

Butte Daredevils (11-7, 71.5 QP, 4.0 AVG, 2nd place, National Conf.)

Hosting the Atlanta Krunk for the first time this season, the Butte Daredevils dominated the Krunk 117-92 [6.5-0.5], as rookie forward Benson Callier dropped 27 points in the Daredevils victory, their ninth win in the past eleven games. Odell Bradley notched 26 points; while Aaron Cook dished out twelve assists in the match. "I'm happy we held them to 40% shooting (from the field) and we shot 60%, which was good," said Daredevils head coach Patrick O'Herron to the Montana Standard newspaper. "But Atlanta outrebounded us (47-40) and they outrebounded us by 11 on the offensive boards." Saturday night's rematch was also won by the Daredevils, 117-92 [5.5-1.5], with Jason Miller dropping 29 points and pulling down 15 boards to lead all Daredevils in both categories. After the contest, though, Miller left the Daredevils and signed with a team in Germany. ""I loved it," Miller said to the Montana Standard of playing in Butte. "We were welcomed here. People fed us in their homes. To all of you in Butte who read this paper, thanks, and thanks for the memories. Hopefully, I'll be able to come back someday."

East Kentucky Miners (9-10, 60.5 QP, 3.2 AVG, 4th place, American Conference)

The Miners' home game against Albany, originally scheduled for Monday night, was pushed back to Thursday due to the Patroons' inability to get out of a snow-clogged Albany International Airport. The Wednesday night affair with the Patroons, however, was still on the docket; and the Pats and Miners battled to an overtime clash, which the Pikeville quintet won 111-110 [4.5-2.5], for their first-ever victory over Albany. Josh Pace led all scorers with 35 points, Mike Crain had six steals, Reo Logan's 13 rebounds were tops among his teammates, and Jason McLeish distributed nine assists. The Miners were able to erase an Albany 11-point lead in the final quarter, and capitalized on two Chad Timberlake turnovers in the final 30 seconds to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Thursday night contest saw both teams battle once again, and at the end of the third quarter the Pats and Miners were deadlocked at 72-72. Then Albany made a solid run, finishing with a 103-100 [5.5-1.5] victory. Josh Pace led East Kentucky with a game-high 28 points. Pace also had eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. James "Boo" Jackson turned in a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Miners. Mike Crain also had 18 points for host East Kentucky. Other players in double figures in the scoring column for East Kentucky were Jason McLeish (13 pts.), Reo Logan (11 pts.) and Bryant Northern (10 pts.). Logan had another double-double for East Kentucky, pulling down 11 rebounds. Next up was a two-game stint against the Pittsburgh Xplosion at Mellon Arena, and the Miners brought busloads of fans with them to the game. However, those fans were disappointed when the Miners lost 126-116 [6-1]. James "Boo" Jackson led the Miners with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while Bryant Northern and Josh Pace each scored 19 points apiece. At home against the same Xplosion franchise on Sunday night, the Miners totally dominated the contest, winning 103-82 [6-1]. The "Pace and Boo" show began again; Josh Pace notched 22 points and 10 assists; while James "Boo" Jackson notched 20 points and pulled down a franchise single-game record 16 rebounds. The 82 points Pittsburgh scored was the lowest total ever amassed against a Miners team all season.

Great Falls Explorers (4-12, 34.5 QP, 2.2 AVG, 4th place, National Conference)

In the Explorers' only game of the week, Nate Johnson drilled a trio of 3-pointers in the last three minutes, including the game-winner with 42 seconds left as the Explorers took a 106-103 [5-2] home victory over the Rio Grande Valley Silverados. Johnson, a 6'4" guard from Florida State, had 15 of his 17 points in the final 24 minutes. Keith Salscheider returned to the Explorers after suffering a concussion earlier in the season, and applied 29 points onto the scoreboard. "Nate Johnson had the final say tonight," Explorers head coach Scott Wedman said after the thriller to the Great Falls Tribune. "He did a good job tonight at the point, guarding Mike Dean and keying off of (Salscheider). These guys stepped up tonight."

Minot Skyrockets (9-5, 63.0 QP, 4.5 AVG, 1st place, American Conference)

It was a battle of division leaders Tuesday night at the Yakima SunDome, as the Minot Skyrockets faced the Sun Kings on the road, only to fall 99-91 [5-2] in the match. Ronnie Fields was top scorer for the Skyrockets with 20 points, as he moved closer to the Top 10 in CBA career scoring. Ray Cunningham, returning to the Skyrockets after a stint in Iceland, finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds. But on Friday night, it was a different story, as the Skyrockets became the first team to defeat the Yakama Sun Kings this season, pulling out a 92-89 [5.5-1.5] road victory. Kevin Rice led the Skyrockets with 24 points and 8 rebounds; Sidney Holmes added 21 points; Marshall Phillips put 19 on the board and earned a key steal in the final seconds to keep Yakama from winning.

Oklahoma Cavalry (6-6, 41.5 QP, 3.5 AVG, 3rd place, National Conference)

With the release of head coach Micheal Ray Richardson, the Cavalry underwent a major roster shuffling, and only brought six players - including two new signees, Randy "White Chocolate" Gill and Lamar Castile - to their road game against the Pittsburgh Xplosion. Although the Cavalry put up a good fight, the undermined Sooner State squad lost to the Xplosion 117-97 [7-0]. New signee and former streetball star Randy "White Chocolate" Gill scored 20 points, while Judson Stubbs garnered 19 points and 12 rebounds in the Cavalry loss. In the second match between the Xplosion and the Cavalry on Wednesday night, the Cavalry limped away with a 99-87 [7-0] defeat, their second straight 7-0 quarterpoint loss. Eddie Smith led all Cavalry players with 28 points; Judson Stubbs scored 15 points and 12 rebounds. The wounded warriors then traveled to Albany, where the team held the lead for the first three quarters of their Saturday night contest against the Patroons. But in the third quarter, Oklahoma's Darold Crow hyperextended his knee on a play and was done for the night. Albany rallied to take the victory, 104-99 [4-3], and the Cavalry took solace in taking three quarter points in the match. Five of seven Cavalry players scored in double figures, led by Eddie Smith (21 pts), Darold Crow (17 pts) and Judson Stubbs (17 pts). Smith also had four steals to lead the Cavalry in that category.

Pittsburgh Xplosion (9-8, 62.0 QP, 3.6 AVG, 3rd place, American Conference)

The Pittsburgh Xplosion hosted a decimated Oklahoma Cavalry squad on Monday night at Mellon Arena, and the Black and Gold completely dominated their opponents, winning 117-97 [7-0]. John DeGroat led the Xplosion with 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Shaun Fountain scored 23 points and 10 assists; Robert Morris graduate Chaz McCrommon finished with 22 points, and Carl Krauser chipped in with eight assists. "This win puts us back on track," head coach Carlos Knox said. "We just really wanted to make a statement tonight, and our guys stepped up." On Wednesday night, the Xplosion handed the Oklahoma Cavalry another beatdown, winning 99-87 [7-0] for their second 7-0 sweep in a row and third 7-0 sweep this season. Remarkably, the Xplosion didn't have a 7-0 sweep in the entire 2006-07 season. Kevin Mickens' 21 points led the Black and Gold; Cory Underwood led the Xplosion with 9 rebounds. Antonio Graves had four steals; Albert White had three blocked shots. Pittsburgh and East Kentucky next hooked up at Mellon Arena, but the Xplosion fought a tough battle and took home a 126-116 [6-1] victory, the team's third in a row. With the score tied at 93 midway through the fourth quarter, Carl Krauser hit a pair of 3-pointers to put the Xplosion up for good at 99-93. Krauser added assists on the Xplosion's next two possessions, turning a close game into a runaway victory for the Xplosion. "I can't say enough about his performance," head coach Carlos Knox said. "He was a dominant force out there tonight." Four Xplosion players earned double-doubles - Krauser (24 pts, 14 assists), John DeGroat (20 pts, 11 rebs), Chaz McCrommon (29 pts, 12 rebs) and Shaun Fountain (12 pts, 10 assists). One final game for the week, on Sunday night in Pikeville, Ky., saw the Xplosion fall to the East Kentucky Miners 103-82 [6-1], despite Carl Krauser's 31 points on the night. Shaun Fountain had 16 points and five assists in the game.

Rio Grande Valley Silverados (1-15, 22.5 QP, 1.4 AVG, 5th place, National Conference)

Still searching for the team's second victory, Derrick Rowland's squad visited Great Falls for a Wednesday night match at the Four Seasons Center - only to come away with a 106-103 [5-2] loss to the Explorers. Mike Dean led all Silverados in scoring with 32 points on 12-26 shooting from the floor; Demorris Smith's twelve rebounds led the McAllen quintet; Smith also had 18 points. Walt Waters, who joined the Silverados after a stint in Oklahoma, put 14 points on the board. Next up was a trip to Yakama to face a Sun Kings team that had already suffered its first loss of the season. To that end, the Silverados started the game at the short end of an 0-14 run, and eventually lost the match 125-75 [7-0]. Rod Neeley scored 22 points to lead the Silverados; Demorris Smith had eight rebounds on the night.

Yakama Sun Kings (15-1, 94.0 QP, 5.9 AVG, 1st place, National Conference)

The Yakama Sun Kings tied the CBA modern-era record for most consecutive wins to start a season (14) with a 99-91 victory over the Minot Skyrockets Tuesday night at the Yakima SunDome. "It's great because we're doing this by being unselfish," said guard Elvin Mims to the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper; Mims finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and blocked shots. "We don't have guys on the bench moaning about their minutes. This team has one goal, and that's to win." Jason Sasser led all Sun Kings in scoring with 18 points; Moochie Norris added 11 assists. In the rematch Friday night, the Skyrockets finally ended the Sun Kings' winning streak with a 92-89 [5.5-1.5] win at the Yakima Valley SunDome. The Sun Kings, who had a double-digit lead against the Magic City quintet at halftime 51-40, watched as Minot ran off a 14-4 third-quarter start to swing the lead toward the visitors. With 44 seconds on the clock and Minot holding on to a slim 90-89 lead, John Strickland was fouled. After Strickland missed both free throws, Yakama called time-out with 14 seconds on the clock. Moochie Norris drove the lane, but his shot was stolen by Minot's Marshall Phillips, who got the ball to Sidney Holmes for a quick layup and the victory. Norris and Tim Ellis each had 17 points apiece; Jason Sasser led the squad with 10 rebounds. Of course, the Sun Kings had to find someone to punish for this loss - and in come the Rio Grande Valley Silverados for a visit to the SunDome. The Sun Kings started Jason Sasser, Moochie Norris, Ray Weathers, Jermaine Blackburn and Anthony Washington, and right away Yakama opened with a 14-0 blitz in the first three minutes, and scored 22 of the game's first 26 points to trigger a 125-75 [7-0] win over the Silverados. Jason Sasser led Yakama with 23 points; Desmond Ferguson hit five 3-pointers in the match.



Continental Basketball Association 1 Stories from December 27, 2007


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