Ex-Vikings Again Key To Slam's Championship Run
July 12, 2010 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -The Bellingham Slam are making their second appearance in the International Basketball League championship game in three seasons, and former Western Washington University players have played a large role in getting the team there on both occasions.
In 2008, when the Slam defeated the Elkhart Express in the IBL title game, the Slam roster featured six ex-Vikings. Four of Bellingham's top five scorers that season hailed from WWU, led by guard Ryan Diggs and his 25.2 points per game scoring average. Forward Tyler Amaya averaged 21.8 points and a team-leading 10.2 rebounds per game, and was also named co-MVP of the championship match. Guard Jacob Stevenson and forward Lukas Henne, then a rookie, also enjoyed fine seasons, averaging 19.5 and 17.1 points per game, respectively. Sparked by the mid-season addition of Amaya following a stint in Germany, the collection of NCAA Division-II standouts went on to win 17 of their last 19 games in 2008, and upset an Elkhart team in the championship that boasted a lineup laden with Division-I players.
2010 is shaping up in similar fashion for the Slam. The team's record stands at 15-7 after winning eight of their last ten games. The roster features eight former Vikings, including three from the 2009-10 squad that reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division-II West Regional Tournament. Stevenson, who has been a part of the Slam since the team first began play in 2005, is enjoying a larger role than ever, ranking first on the team and fourth in the IBL with a scoring output of 25.8 points per game. After missing four games late in the season with an ankle injury, Diggs has come back and ranks third on the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game. Guard Morris Anderson has been one of the league's best rookies, averaging 12.9 points, a team-leading 6.8 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. His 136 total assists ranks fourth in the league and first among rookies. Guard Derrick Webb has proven to be a valuable asset lately coming off the bench for Bellingham, averaging 17.8 points in his last four games.
The Slam's opponent in the championship game, the Albany Legends, are a first-year team but enter the game with the IBL's best record at 18-3, and boast a roster with seven former NCAA Division-I athletes. They are led by ex-NBA and Cincinnatiguard Kenny Satterfield, who comes in averaging 19.0 points and 8.2 assists per game. Two other key contributors are forward Gordon Klaiber, who leads the team with 19.5 points per game, and center DeAndre Thomas, who at 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds, is averaging 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest and provides an imposing presence in the post for the Legends.
The Slam will head to Albany, New York, to take on the higher-seeded Legends in the 201 IBL Championship game on Friday, July 16. An 8 p.m.Eastern time tip-off is scheduled for the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany. KBAI AM 930 will provide live radio coverage of the game, starting at 4:45 p.m.Pacific. An internet stream of the broadcast will also be available at www.930kbai.com.
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International Basketball League Stories from July 12, 2010
- Ex-Vikings Again Key To Slam's Championship Run - Bellingham Slam
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