PBL Semifinal Playoff Preview

Published on April 1, 2011 under Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Rochester RazorSharks News Release


The Matchup: This is game one of a best-of-three Premier Basketball League playoff series between the second place Quebec Kebs and the third place Rochester RazorSharks. Rochester hosts game one. Quebec gets home court for game two on Wednesday and game three (if necessary) on Friday.

These teams split their regular season series. Each won on its home court. The Sharks in Rochester in game four 107-101. The Kebs in Quebec in game six 114-102. Both were played in January.

Although the teams have played together in the same league four years now, the RazorSharks and Kebs have never been in a playoff series. Altogether Rochester is 5-2 lifetime against Quebec, 4-0 at home.

The RazorSharks (12-8) won ten of their last twelve games to qualify for the postseason after a 2-6 start. Rochester claimed the first two PBL titles in 2008 and 2009. They were playoff finalist losers to Lawton-Fort Sill in 2010.

The last time the Sharks played the Kebs, Perry Stevenson and Marlin Johnson logged a combined 36 minutes of play. Neither is on the roster now. Both games were played during Rochester's 2-6 start so they don't carry much weight.

Sammy Monroe and Mike Williams joined the team in February. With both of them in the lineup together, Rochester was 9-2. Monroe played two previous seasons for the Sharks and famously had a hand in breaking two backboards. He averaged 14.7 ppg, second on the team. Williams was leading the PBL in scoring when he arrived via the dispersal draft from Vermont. He wound up second in the PBL in rebounding.

Center Jared Carter developed into a dominant inside presence. Inconsistant early in the season, Coach Rod Baker stuck with him and kept Carter's confidence up. The 7 foot 2 center from Kentucky led the PBL in blocked shots, averaged 11.3 points per game and pulled down an average of 7 rebounds.

Thanks to a solid second half of the season, Keith Friel led the Sharks in scoring with 15.32 points per game. It is the fifth straight year Friel has won the team scoring crown. He is the leading three-point shooter in the league with 55 made, hitting at a career best 45%.

The Kebs (14-6) finished second in the PBL thanks to a 5-1 finish playing a tougher schedule than Rochester faced. Quebec's only loss over that stretch was a two point defeat at Lawton.

The Kebs, in addition to Rochester, were the only other team to beat the Cavalry this year. That came 99-87 at home in game eight. Quebec was 8-2 at home. 6-4 on the road.

In those two previous games against Rochester, Lou McCroskey was the star for the Kebs in both scoring 21 and 22 points. Those were his two highest scoring games of the year. Over his last seven the former Syracuse University star has averaged just over 6 ppg.

Forward Quinnell Brown wrapped up the PBL scoring race with a 41 point effort in his last game of the season against Dayton. That was the single game high in the league this year. Brown averaged a league leading 21.2 points per game and is an MVP candidate. He scored 35 in the two games against Rochester. Brown is also Quebec's leading rebounder.

Guard Royce Parran is Quebec's leading three-point shooter. He made 34, third best in the league. Parran also led the PBL in steals.

Of note: Rochester's Jared Carter is just two years out of the University of Kentucky. There are three on the Wildcats roster in the Final Four game against Connecticut today that Carter played with.

Of note: The Sharks set a new regular season season attendance mark. They averaged 5396 for ten home games this year, including three of their top four crowds over their six year existence. The record crowd is 9,717 for a PBL playoff win over the Arkansas Impact in 2008.

Of note: Halifax defeated Saint John in overtime Thursday night. The Rainmen clinched the final playoff spot and open a semfinal playoff series against LFS. It is a rematch from last season when the Cavalry swept Halifax in the first round.

Of note: Among the guests of the Sharks Saturday are Brother Wease from Fox 95.1, Assistant coach Billy Sedgewick from the Rochester Rhinos along with Soccer Sam Fantuzzo, owner of the fledgling indoor soccer Rochester Lancers. 13 year old Aviella Winder of Fairport will perform National Anthem duties.

Quoteable: Rochester guard Keith Friel, veteran of three championship seasons; "Each post-season is different because each group is different. I'm just hoping that our progression as a group that has come in the last five to six weeks will continue to grow."

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Premier Basketball League Stories from April 1, 2011


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