NBL Canada National Basketball League of Canada

NBL Canada Weekly Report

February 27, 2012 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) News Release


NBL TEAM REPORTS

Halifax Rainmen

1888 Brunswick Street, Suite 611

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3J8

Phone: (902) 444-RAIN, (902) 444-7246

Fax: 1-866-424-4267

Head Coach: Josep Claros

Home arena: Halifax MetroCentre

rainmenbasketball.ca

Although Halifax has scored a playoff spot, they needed to stop a losing streak that, as the week began, extended to five out of six losses. The streak extended on Monday night, as Halifax stumbled out of the gate with a 26-13 first-quarter delay against Saint John, and finished the night on the short end of a 121-99 score. Taliek Brown scored 22 poitns, while Tyrone Levett added 14.

On Thursday night, Halifax picked up another win, a 104-100 triumph over the Quebec Kebs at the MetroCentre. The win, paced by 22 points from Tyrone Levett and 20 markers from Joey Haywood, means that if Quebec and Halifax finish the regular season with an identical won-loss record, the Rainmen will be seeded #2 over Quebec due to the 4-1 record the Rainmen achieved against the Kebs.

Halifax continued a strong run at home on Friday night, as they defeated Saint John 101-98. In the victory, Chris Hagen notched 23 poitns, while Justin Johnson had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

But it was Sunday afternoon's contest with Quebec in which the Rainmen completely dominated their opposition with a 127-75 scoring explosion. Lawrence Wright had four 3-pointers en route to a 22-point, 10 rebound night; while Tyrone Levett added 18 points and Taliek Brown had 10 assists.

London Lightning

358 Horton Street E.

London, Ontario N6B 1L7

Phone: (519) 433-0634

Fax: (519) 433-9849

Head Coach: Micheal Ray Richadson

Home arena: John Labatt Centre

lightningbasketball.ca

With Eddie Smith scoring a team-high 21 poitns and Rodney Buford achieving a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double, the London Lightning not only defeated the Moncton Miracles at the Moncton Coliseum 119- 84, the Lightning locked in their #1 seed for the playoffs - and with that, they have earned home-court advantage throughout the postseason.

However, the Lightning crashed into a rejuvenated Quebec Kebs team on Saturday afternoon, and despite holding a strong 71-62 lead after three quarters, the Lightning were short-circuited with a 43-24 fourth quarter and finished with a 105-95 loss. Eddie Smith led London with 31 points, including going 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Rodney Buford added 18 points, while Gabe Freeman scored 12.

Moncton Miracles

740 Rue Main Street

Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 1E6

Team phone: (506) 204-7730

Team fax: (506) 204-7840

Head Coach: Mike Evans

Home arena: Moncton Coliseum

miraclesbasketball.ca

While the Moncton Miracles may have not made the playoffs, their fans continue to pack the Moncton Coliseum. And with that, the Miracles hope to snag one or two more victories to finish out the year. Unfortunately for Moncton, trying to get those victories against the league-leading London Lightning are not easy - thus explaining a 19- 84 loss to the Lightning on Tuesday night. Darrell Wonge and Boubacar Coly each scored 16 points in the loss; Sylvania Watkins added 12 rebounds.

Oshawa Power

99 Athol St. East

Oshawa, Ontario L1H-1J8

Phone: (289) 315-0520

Phone: 1-877-554-8457

Head Coach: Robert Brickey

Home Arena: General Motors Centre

powerbasketball.ca

The Oshawa Power's postseason hopes took a crushing blow on Thursday night, as Durham's team lost a heartbreaker on the road 127- 114 to the Saint John Mill Rats. Tut Ruach finished with a double- double of 23 points and 11 assists; while Brandon Robinson and Omari Johnson each scored 21 points for the Power. Morgan Lewis added 16 points and 9 rebounds. For Oshawa to have any chance at the postseason, they now need to win their final two games of the regular season - hope that Saint John loses their final two games of the regular season - and in their last remaining matchup, the Power must defeat Saint John by 19 points or more, to earn the last remaining tiebreaker available for the postseason berth.

Québec Kebs

300,rue Métivier

Quebec City, Quebec G1M 3Y9

Office: 418-780-4850

Fax: 418-683-3232

Head coach: Rob Spon

Home arena: Pavillon de l'éducation physique et des sports de l'Université Laval

Home arena: Pavillion de la Jeunesse

kebsdequebec.com/en (English)

kebsdequebec.com (Français)

The Quebec Kebs may have already punched their ticket for the postseason, but they still needed to hold off Halifax for the #2 seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Kebs started off very strong on Monday night, taking a 123-114 road victory over the Summerside Storm, as Ralphy Holmes (32 pts, 11 rebs, 8 assists) and James "Boo" Jackson (30 pts, 14 rebs) led the Kebs to success. Ricky Volcy also added 23 points to the Kebs' winning total.

Volcy was more proficient on Thursday night, as he scored 30 points off the bench in the Kebs' 104-100 road loss against Halifax. Ralphy Holmes also came off the bench to add 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Cedric Moodie scored 14 points.

Over the weekend, the Kebs played their final two regular season home dates at Pavillion de la Jeunesse, a larger venue to accommodate their growing fanbase. And on Saturday night, the Kebs showed 2,500 fans at Pavillion that their team has a chance to go very far in the playoffs - with a 105-95 triumph over the London Lightning. Cedric Moodie scored 31 points, including six 3-pointers, while Ricky Volcy put 27 points on the board.

A Sunday afternoon matchup, also held at Pavillion de la Jeunesse, had a much different result. The Kebs got off to a slow, anemic start againt Halifax, trailing 35-13 at the first quarter and 63-29 at the half. The 127- 75 loss wasn't even that close; Carl Krauser's 14 points and Royce Parran's 12 markers were the few high-water marks for Quebec that day.

Saint John Mill Rats

133 Prince William Street, Suite 9

Saint John, NB E2L 2B5

Office: (506) 214-4454

Fax: (506) 652-1562

Head Coach: Jaren Jackson

Home Venue: Harbour Station

millratsbasketball.ca

The Saint John Mill Rats took a strong step forward in their hopes to claim the fourth and final playoff spot. First off was a Monday night home game at Harbour Station, as the Mill Rats pounded Halifax 121- 99. Late-season signee Stanley Ocitti led the Mill Rats in scoring with 20 points and 10 rebounds; while Darren Duncan had a double-double of 18 points and 13 assists.

Next came a Thursday evening matchup at Harbour Station with the Oshawa Power. And in this game, Antonio Burks nailed six of eight three-point shots, packing 22 points on the scoreboard and helping Saint John take a much-needed 127-115 victory over the Power. Anthony Anderson led the Rats in scoring with 25 points and 11 assists; Stanley Ocitti added 16 points and 10 rebounds.

The victory over Oshawa meant that one more Saint John win would catapult the Rats into the playoffs. Unfortunately, that win did not come on Friday night, as the Rats were defeated on the road by the Halifax Rainmen, 101-98. Another late-season acquisition for Saint John, former Keb Jemaine Blackburn, led the Rats in scoring with 22 points. Darren Duncan contributed 16 in the Saint John loss.

Summerside Storm

511 Notre Dame Street

Summerside, Prince Edward Island C1N 1T2

Phone: (902) 432-1234

Fax: (902)-436-4596

Head Coach: Joseph Salerno

Home Venue: Consolidated Credit Union Place

stormbasketball.ca

With a record crowd of 4,017 packed into Credit Union Place Monday night, the Summerside Storm wanted to end their season on a strong note. But the Storm struggled early against Quebec, and even with 23 points from Louie McCroskey and an 18-point, 12-rebound effort from Mike Williams, Summerside lost 123-114 to Quebec Game reports compiled via team press releases, and from articles appearing in newspapers from the teams' home locations.

NBL CANADA TRANSACTIONS

February 21, 2012 - Moncton Miracles place Akeem Wright on Inactive Reserve.

NBL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

The National Basketball League of Canada is pleased to announce that Tyrone Levett of the Halifax Rainmen has been named Player of the Week for the week ending February 26, 2012. This is Levett's first time as Player of the Week; he joins teammates Joey Haywood and Justin Johnson as earning that honour. Levett, a 6'6, 215-pound forward, averaged 17 points per game in four Halifax games, three of them victories. It was his stellar play and consistent scoring that has helped the Rainmen move into second place in the NBL Canada standings.

Previous NBL Player of the Week Honours:

November 6, 2011 - Gabe Freeman, London Lightning.

November 13, 2011 - Joey Haywood, Halifax Rainmen.

November 20, 2011 - Anthony Anderson, Saint John Mill Rats.

November 28, 2011 - Chris Cayole, Summerside Storm.

December 4, 2011 - Ralphy Holmes, Quebec Kebs.

December 11, 2011 - Justin Johnson, Halifax Rainmen.

December 18, 2011 - Darrell Wonge, Moncton Miracles.

December 25, 2011 - Ralphy Holmes, Quebec Kebs.

January 1, 2012 - Gabe Freeman, London Lightning.

January 8, 2012 - Stephen McDowell, Summerside Storm.

January 15, 2012 - Morgan Lewis, Oshawa Power.

January 22, 2012 - Darren Duncan, Saint John Mill Rats.

January 29, 2012 - Brandon Robinson, Oshawa Power.

February 5, 2012 - Shamari Spears, London Lightning.

February 12, 2012 - Morgan Lewis, Oshawa Power.

February 19, 2012 - Brandon Robinson, Oshawa Power.

NBL COACH OF THE MONTH

November, 2011 - Micheal Ray Richardson, London Lightning.

December, 2011 - Josep Claros, Halifax Rainmen.

January, 2012 - Micheal Ray Richardson, London Lightning.



National Basketball League of Canada Stories from February 27, 2012


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