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Drive and Steamers Ready for Game 1 on Thursday

April 3, 2012 - Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Central Illinois Drive News Release


Bloomington, IL, 4/3/12 - The Central Division Champion Central Illinois Drive, presented by Sonic, will play at the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers on Thursday at 6:05 pm CDT. The matchup is game 1 of the PBL Playoffs Opening Round. The Drive enter as the #1 seed with a record of 18-1. The Steamers are 10-10 and finished as the #4 seed. The two teams have never played each other so neither team knows quite what to expect.

The Drive have had an exciting inaugural season up to this point. They quickly picked up interest with some local talent and then got off to one of the hottest starts in league history. The team won their first 15 games before losing at the Sauk Valley Predators in early March.

The winning streak tied the second longest in PBL history. That loss was the only loss of the regular season. The team had no trouble on offense all season as they only played three games where they did not break 100 points. Some wondered how they would handle a playoff type game. The challenge was answered on March 4 when the Sauk Valley Predators came to Bloomington. The Drive fell far behind early and came all the way back to win the game in overtime and clinch the Central Division. Perry Petty led regular season scoring with 17.3 points per game (329 points total). Todd Peterson made the most three-point baskets going 46-117 (39.3%). Anthony Slack and Perry Petty tied in rebounds with 123 on the season but Slack's 7.7 rebounds per game beat Petty's 6.5. Jemal Farmer led the team making 68-85 (80%) free throws.

The Scranton Wilkes-Barre Steamers had a streaky season but never got too high or low. They started the season with a pair of losses and then won three straight. That would be the ongoing theme of their season. Like the Drive, the Steamers had no trouble on offense as they scored over 100 points in all but three games. They finished second in the Eastern Division with seven fewer wins than Rochester and four more than third place Dayton. Vincent Simpson led the team with 20.4 points per game (387 points) and he also led the team going 44-133 (33.1%) from three point range. Rob Robinson led the team with 125 rebounds (11.4 rebounds per game). Darrion Griffin led the team making 81-120 (67.5) free throws.

Game 1: 4/5 Drive at Steamers - 6:05 pm CDT

Game 2: 4/7 Steamers at Drive - 7:05 pm CDT

*Game 3: 4/9 Steamers at Drive - 7:05 pm CDT

(*if necessary)

For more on the Central Illinois Drive, visit www.drivehoops.com and visit the Premier Basketball League at www.thepbl.com. All games can be heard on WJBC Online.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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