Legend Survive OT, 'Dawgs for Title
June 29, 2003 - United States Basketball League (USBL) News Release
DODGE CITY, KS â The United States Basketball League, Inc. (USBL) concluded its 18th season of play and the 11th Annual Post-Season Festival today with a rematch of the 2001 Post-Season Festival final, Pennsylvania versus Dodge City.
With 1,546 fans in attendance, Olden Polynice won the opening tap and the game was underway. After two trips apiece, Polynice opened the scoring with a short jumper. The scoring didn't stop there as the ValleyDawgs ran off 10 straight before a Lazarus Sims runner in the lane stopped the run. Dodge City battled back with Artie Griffin hitting two 3-point field goals and an Alvin Jefferson dunk over Polynice to pull within six with 5:12 left in the first quarter. A Courtney James put back ended the scoring in the first quarter with Pennsylvania leading Dodge City 34-21.
The second quarter started with two alley oops from Rob Dye to Darrin Hancock and Alvin Jefferson. Just as the Legend started to build some momentum, a Tim Winn three and a jumper by Ronnie Fields stopped the run by the Legend and pushed the lead up to 15 with eight minutes left in the half. The Legend then stepped up the defense with Alvin Jefferson cleaning the glass and blocking shots to then spring Griffin and Dye for threes as the Legend climbed back to within ten with five minutes left in the half.
Ronnie Fields then pulled some magic out of the hat with two high wire acrobatic shots. Alvin Jefferson continued to give a workmanlike performance with a put back and a short jumper. Hancock and Sims had buckets to get the ValleyDawgs lead down to six but a jumper by Polynice closed the half with the ValleyDawgs holding an eight point first half lead.
The third quarter got underway with Polynice hitting a short jumper. Jefferson continued his assault at the basket with a huge dunk. Hancock then hit a three and Immanuel McElroy then had two breakaway dunks off of ValleyDawgs turnovers and the Legend tied the game for the first time all game, by virtue of an 11-2 run. Pennsylvania then went on a run of their own with Tim Winn hitting six straight from the line and the ValleyDawgs now held a lead of five, 66-61, after three periods of play.
The fourth quarter began with an Ace Custis put back of a Tim Winn miss to increase the lead to seven. Jefferson answered with a huge dunk, but two short jumpers by Courtney James increased the span to nine with nine minutes left. Sims hit a runner in the lane but Fields was the recipient of a pass out of a wild scrum and threw down a huge dunk for the ValleyDawgs. Sims again answered with a layup, and Artie Griffin then hit a short runner and with 5:23 the Legend trailed by three. The teams traded baskets with Tim Winn hitting from the line and Harold Swanagan putting back a Griffin miss. At the 2:37 the ValleyDawgs led by three. Two Tim Winn free throws pushed the lead to five. Darrin Hancock would not be denied as he hit a three to pull within two and then Jefferson hit a 15 footer to tie the game with 1:32 left.
Tim Winn made a steal and a bucket but Hancock answered back again with a runner with 56 seconds to tie the game again. After making a living at the line, Tim Winn came up short twice with 33 seconds left. After an Antonio Smith rebound, Hancock missed a short runner, but Polynice missed a jumper at the buzzer and the game went into overtime for the first time in USBL Post-Season Festival History.
Jefferson tipped in a miss for the Legends first lead of the game 92-90. James tied the game with twp free throws but Griffin hit ten footer with 3:12 left to play to put the Legend up again by two. Fields then hit two free throws and Custis hit a 17 footer to put the ValleyDawgs back on top. The next trip down the floor, Griffin hit a high arcing three with 14.6 seconds left to put the Legend up by two, 97-96. After a controversial block/charge call involving a driving Ronnie Fields and Antonio Smith, a jump ball ensued with 4.7 seconds left. The ValleyDawgs won the tip but Ronnie Fields couldn't get a shot off and the Legend escaped with a 97-96 victory and their second USBL Championship.
Leading the way for the ValleyDawgs was Ronnie Fields with 28 points. Tim Winn had 19 points, 10 from the line. Olden Polynice had 14 points and 14 rebounds and Courtney James had 15 rebounds in the loss.
USBL Post-Season Festival MVP Darrin Hancock had 18 points and 6 rebounds for the Legend. Alvin Jefferson had 29 points, 8 rebounds and a new USBL record 6 blocks. Artie Griffin had 26 points in the victory,
"This is a great win for us. We fought back all game and did the things we needed to do to get us a victory. I couldn't be happier of my players and staff for all the hard work they have put in this season. We went undefeated at home this season and we set some history tonight. I would like to thank my coaches Dale Osbourne and Brian Hoberecht for all their hard work, Tom Nelson and the owners of the Legend for all their support this season and the players who gave their all every single day of the season," stated Legend Head Coach Cliff Levingston.
USBL ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM
Darrin Hancock, Dodge City Legend â MVP
Alvin Jefferson, Dodge City Legend
Ronnie Fields, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs
Olden Polynice, Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs
Cypheus Bunton, Oklahoma Storm
Frantz Pierre-Louis, Adirondack Wildcats
United States Basketball League Stories from June 29, 2003
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