Controversy Mars Slam OT Loss in Vancouver
May 1, 2011 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
VANCOUVER, Wash. - A fourth quarter comeback by the Bellingham Slam to force overtime was for naught as they lost to the Vancouver Volcanoes, 118-108 in overtime, in front of a near-capacity crowd at the O'Connell Sports Complex Saturday night.
An otherwise hard-fought and competitive game was marred by a scoring discrepancy, shot clock issues, and a possible incorrect application of International Basketball League game rules in overtime. The Slam have requested an official review of the game by IBL commissioner Mikal Duilio, which should take place within the next two weeks.
As the Slam headed into the locker room at halftime after a back-and-forth first half, the scoreboard showed the Slam leading 57-49. During halftime, the scorer's table removed two points from Bellingham's total to make the score 55-49.
Bellingham led by as much as ten in the middle stages of the third quarter, before a late third quarter run by the Volcanoes made the score 81-79 in favor of the Slam.
The fourth quarter proved to be a defensive showdown, as just 36 total points were scored by both teams.
After Vancouver's Devin Uskoski broke apart a tie game with a layup to make the score 97-95, with 1:47 left, both teams were held scoreless until the game's final ten seconds. Following single free throw makes for both teams and a Slam timeout to advance the ball into the frontcourt, Mo Anderson found Ryan Diggs driving to the basket off the in-bounds pass to score a layup and tie the game 97-all with six seconds remaining.
The Volcanoes had two good looks to win the game as time ticked down, by were unable to convert.
After Blake Poole scored the first bucket of overtime for Bellingham, the Volcanoes' Alex Hartman stepped up and single-handedly gave his team the win by scoring 13 of his team's 20 points in the extra session. Back-to-back three-pointers by Hartman in the period's first minute snuffed out any chance for the Slam.
Paul Hafford led the Slam with 23 points, while Poole contributed a double-double of 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds.
Hartman was one of three Vancouver players to also lead his team with 23 points.
Bellingham wraps up its road trip with a Sunday afternoon game against the Portland All-Stars, with a 1 p.m. tip-off set at Cascade College.
For more information, contact the Slam at (360) 734-SLAM or visit their website at www.bellinghamslam.com.
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