Depleted Frost Heaves Top Montreal

February 28, 2008 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Vermont Frost Heaves News Release


Burlington, Vt.-With three of his players on the bench in street clothes, Vermont Frost Heaves coach Will Voigt found himself trying a little of this and a little of that at Memorial Auditorium last night. In the end the tinkering worked well enough to deliver a 112-97 victory over the Montreal Royal.

Over the past week the Frost Heaves, No. 1 in the ABA Power Rankings, have learned that two key players are lost for the season: forward John Bryant, with a torn shoulder; and guard Terrance Green, with a torn ACL. Another guard, Dwayne Lee, is sidelined for at least two weeks with a bad hamstring.

Dokun Akingbade led the scoring parade for Vermont (29-4) with 26 points, but it was forward Antonio Burks who drew the most attention. A founding Frost Heave, Burks scored his 1,000th point in a Vermont uniform with a short jumper early in the second quarter, and the game was stopped to recognize the achievement. He wound up with 22 points, including six of eight three-point attempts.

Erik Nelson added 11 rebounds and Markus Austin dished off nine assists for the victors.

Cordell Jeanty scored 29 points for Montreal (8-20).

To shore up their depleted backcourt, before the game Vermont signed Tyrone Barley, the former St. Joseph's guard whose defense and three-point shooting helped lead the Frost Heaves two an ABA title a year ago. Barley will join the team tomorrow and be in uniform for both games in Burlington this weekend.

On Saturday, March 1, against Boston the Frost Heaves will celebrate both Aubuchon Hardware's 100th Anniversary and the 2005 University of Vermont NCAA tournament upset of Syracuse, as former Catamount star Germain Mopa-Njila serves as the Northfield Savings Bank Community All-Star. Fan Appreciation Day will take place on Sunday, March 2, vs. Quebec at 4:05 p.m., as the Frost Heaves thank their supporters with a special giveaway.

Tickets for both games may be purchased at the door beginning one hour before tip-off; by going to flynntix.org; by calling 802-86-FLYNN; or by stopping by the Flynn's main box office at 153 Main Street in Burlington. Groups of 20 or more may call the Frost Heaves' office at 802-860-0082 for discounted rates.

Vermont home games are also Webcast live and archived for rebroadcast at vermontfrostheaves.com. In addition. affiliates of the Vermont Access Network in Barre, Burlington, Cavendish, Hartford, Hyde Park, Ludlow, Lyndonville, Montpelier, Newport, Plymouth, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Windsor and Woodstock rebroadcast Frost Heaves home games over local cable systems, and Burlington Telecom makes them available to subscribers as a video-on-demand option.

The presenting sponsor for Frost Heaves Webcasts is the Vermont State Employees Credit Union.

Radio broadcasts of Vermont games, home and away, may be heard on WSNO AM 1450 in Barre; WJOY AM 1230 in Burlington; and on the Web at vermontfrostheaves.com, while WLVB FM 93.9 in Morrisville carries a select Frost Heaves "Game of the Week."

The Frost Heaves Official Team Sponsors are the Vermont State Employees Credit Union and the Vermont Army National Guard.

For more information, visit vermontfrostheaves.com.

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.



American Basketball Association Stories from February 28, 2008


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