PBL Weekly Report
February 23, 2009 - Premier Basketball League (PBL) News Release
PBL TEAM REPORTS
Augusta Groove
2332 Rutherford
Augusta, GA 30906
706-737-5550 ext 310
fax:706-739-0219
Head coach: Rick Brown
Home arena: Richmond Academy
augustagroovebasketball.com
It was a Monday afternoon "President's Day" affair, as the Augusta Groove traveled north to Blue Cross Arena, and hoping for all the right moves in a showdown with the Rochester Razorsharks. Despite a tremendous scoring effort by Donielle Davis, who put 40 points on the scoreboard for the Groove, they were not able to surpass the surging sharks, and fell 121-119 in the final moments. Demetrius Howard added 14 points, while Kendrick "Modie" Johnson finished with a adouble-double of 14 points and 11 team-high rebounds. "I always tell our guys," said Augusta Groove head coach Rick Brown, "we've got to win the battle of the free throws, the rebounds and the turnovers, and tonight we didn't do it from the free throw line. We're going to get points from Donielle Davis, but it's a team effort, so we've got guys who can step up and make some points."
The Groove came back on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Chicago Throwbacks 119-105 and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Demetrius Howard finished with a team-high 25 points (including six three-pointers), while Donelle Davis had a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Kendrick "Modie" Johnson was nearly perfect from the floor, as he went 7-for-7 in free-throws (including a 3-pointer) and 4-for-5 from the line for 19 markers.
Battle Creek Knights
McCamly Place
50 Capital Ave. SW
Battle Creek, MI 49017
Phone: (269) 965-5001
Fax: (269) 965-5004
Head coach: Terry Sare
Home arena: Kellogg Arena
bcknights.com
The Battle Creek Knights had all the right moves in their 131-111 Thursday night victory over the Mid-Michigna Destroyers. Battle Creek's bench outscored the Mid-Michigan bench 60-20. They hit 55% of their 3-pointers, as opposed to 23% accuracy from Mid-Michigan. And seven of the twelve players for the Knights hit in double figures, led by Kenny Langhorne's 19 points, and Rashi Johnson's 17 points and 12 assists. Deon Rose's 17 points included three 3-pointers. With the win, Battle Creek set a PBL record with 11 consecutive victories, passing the 10-game streak set by the Rochester Razorsharks in the 2007-08 season.
The Battle Creek winning streak increased to a league-record twelve straight victories on Friday night, as they caged the Detroit Panthers 143-133. Coleco Buie had the hot hand for the Knights, scoring a team-high 32 points, including going 12-for-17 from the floor and 8-for-9 from beyond 3-point range. Florentino Valencia also rocked the house with 23 points, including a fire-hot 10 field goals with 13 attempted. Kenny Langhorne also helped the Knights' efforts, adding 21 points in the win. Battle Creek's bench also stepped up in the game, outscoring the Panthers bench 56-34.
The undefeated run for the Knights, unfortunately, ended at twelve straight wins, as Battle Creek were upended 121-117 on Sunday evening against the Wilmington Sea Dawgs. In the loss, Kenny Langhorne and Rashi Johnson finished with 21 and 20 points, respectively, while Frank Phillips added 15 in the loss.
Buffalo Stampede
3498 Sheridan Drive
Amherst, NY 14226
Phone (716) 834-3498
Fax (716) 834-3544
Head coach: John Fitzpatrick
Home arena: Koessler Athletic Ctr.
buffalostampedepbl.com
In front of a large crowd at the Koessler Athletic Center, the Buffalo Stampede hosted the Atlantic Division-leading Manchester Millrats, and the Stampede played Manchester hard throughout the match. At the end of the first quarter, Buffalo held on to a 32-27 lead, and were actually down only by one point, 51-50, at the half. But the Millrats would not be upset on this night, and the Stampede were corralled 115-93. Tyrone Rayson was the top scorer for Buffalo, putting up 23 points. Markus Price (15 pts) and Derick Payne (12 pts) also had solid efforts for the Stampede. Kevin Ross led the team in boards, with 10 rebounds.
Chicago Throwbacks
430 East 162nd Street, Suite 507
South Holland IL 60473
Office: (219) 588-3071
Fax: (219) 884-4558
Head coach: Charles Scott
Home arena: Attack Athletics
chicagothrowbacks.com
Charles Scott's first game as Chicago Throwbacks coach was a success, as Imari Sawyer hit a game-high 28 points and 11 assists in Chicago's 109-104 victory over the Quebec Kebs. In the fourth quarter, after Quebec increased their lead to as many as nine with nine to go, Chicago went on a run spurned by six straight points by Anthony Simmons, that would cut the lead to three. After a Willie Mitchell jam, Chicago had the lead 88-87, and Sawyer's 18-foot jumper locked up the win for the Throwbacks. Willie Mitchell added 20 for Chicago, while Casey Love added 18. The victory guaranteed that Chicago would improve on last year's 5-15 season, and as Jim "InTheJim" Smith would say, "Put it on the bo-o-o-o-o-oard, YES!!"
However, nothing would be "put on the board" Sunday evening, as the Augusta Groove scratched the Throwbacks, 119-105. In the loss, newly-signed Willie Mitchell led the Throwbacks by putting up 25 points, including five 3-pointers. Dameon Mason added 19 points, while Casey Love (13), Imari Sawyer (12) and Michael O'Neal (12) also contributed to the Throwbacks' scoring.
Detroit Panthers
199 W Brown Street, Suite 110
Birmingham, MI 48009
Phone (248) 645-2278
Fax (248) 920-0482
Head coach: C. Bill Jones
Home arena: Wiley Groves HS
detroitpanthers.com
Despite charging up a 20-1 run in the third quarter to catch up to the unbeaten Battle Creek Knights Friday night, the Detroit Panthers fell short in a 143-133 divisional loss. Randy "White Chocolate" Gill had a team-high 35 points, along with eight rebounds and five assists, while Chuck Bailey
had 14 boards to lead the Panthers in that category. Of the nine Panthers who saw game action, seven of them scored in double figures.
The Panthers would later pick up a Sunday evening victory, taking a 118-103 triumph over the Mid-Michigan Destroyers. Detroit took control early leading by 11 after one, and led by 13 at the half. Chuck Bailey had a team-high 30 points and 15 boards, while Randy "White Chocolate" Gill added 20 points for Detroit. Walter Waters led Detroit in rebounding with 17. As a team, the Panthers out-rebounded the Destroyers 54-42.
Halifax Rainmen
1888 Brunswick Street, Suite 611
Halifax, NS B3J 3J8
Phone: (902) 444-RAIN, (902) 444-7246
Fax: 1-866-424-4267
Head Coach: Les Berry
Home arena: Halifax MetroCentre
rainmenbasketball.ca
Despite 16-point team-leading nights by Brian Silverhorn and Eric Crookshank, the Halifax Rainmen lost a close matchup Friday night to the Vermont Frost Heaves in the final seconds, 100-98. Despite the loss, Halifax received solid scoring runs from John Strickland (15 pts) and Cordell Jeanty (11 pts, 11 rebounds), but on this night the Rainmen suffered from poor free throw shooting, going only 28-for-55 from the charity stripe in the loss.
Manchester Millrats
816 Elm Street, PMB #182
Manchester, NH 03101
Office: 888-646-RATS (7287)
Fax: 866-321-2821
Head coach: Rob Spon
Home arena: Southern New Hampshire University
manchestermillrats.com
The Granite State crew welcomed the Montreal Sasquat'ch to the Southern New Hampshire University fieldhouse, and with eight of twelve Millrats scorin gin double figures, the Millrats took another win over the Sasquat'ch, 121-82. Manchester busted out of the gates early, gaining a 56-38 halftime lead, and never looked back. Sam Carey led the Rats with 15 points, while Kenyon Gamble was the defensive player of the game with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 blocks.
The Millrats picked up another victory Saturday night, winning on the road 115-93 against the Buffalo Stampede. Sam Carey's 22 points led all Millrats in scoring, while Tommy Mitchell put up 18 and Alex Owumi contributed 13. Kenyon Gamble led the Rats in rebounds with 11 boards to go with his 10 points.
Mid-Michigan Destroyers
1000 Second Street
Bay City, MI 48708
Phone: (989) 244-1156
Fax: (248) 393-2572
Head coach: T.J. Newsham
Home arena: Bay City Western HS
mmdestroyers.com
Odgra Bobo continued to lead Mid-Michigan in scoring, having put up 25 points in the Destroyers' 131-111 loss to division-leading Battle Creek. Melvin White and Anthony Steward each had 21 and 19 points, respectively, both added 10 rebounds apiece for double-doubles. Before the game, the Destroyers made some roster moves, adding a pair of Antonios to the roster - Antonio Bond, a 5'9" guard from Kellogg CC, and Antonio Jones, a 6'3" guard from Schoolcraft.
With the new additions, the Destroyers visited Blue Cross Arena for a game against the Rochester Razorsharks. Odgra Bobo led the Destroyers with 28 points, but Mid-Michigan could not surpass the Sharks, falling 123-110. Anthony Stewerd had 25 points, including going 10-for-11 from the free-throw stripe; while Kendrick Cornelius notched 19 points in the Mid-Michigan loss.
The Mid-Michigan Destroyers' woes continued on Sunday night, as the Bay City Crew were defeated at home by the Detroit Panthers, 118-103. For the Destroyers, Odgra Bobo had 18 points, Jeff Jayson had 16 and Oscar Sanders had 15.
Montreal Sasquat'ch
Contact info TBA
Head coach: Tito Destin
Home arena: Centre Pierre Charbonneau
montrealsasquatch.com
Les Sasquat'ch went on a two-game road trip for the weekend, starting on Friday night with a 121-82 loss against the Manchester Millrats. Freddy Petkus and Mark Flavin both had 14 points for Montreal, while Buster Perkins put up 13 points. David Dubois finished with a team-high 12 rebounds.
Next up was a trip to North Carolina, as the Sasquat'ch were defeated by the Wilmington Sea Dawgs. In the loss, Ratana Sak led all Sasquat'ch players with 31 points, including 7 three-pointers. Buster Perkins added 16 points, while David Dubois had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds for Montreal.
Quebec Kebs
300 rue Métivier,
Québec, QC G1M 3Y9
Office: 418-780-4850
Fax: 418-780-4858
Head coach: Charles Dubé-Brais
Home arena: Pavillon de la Jeunesse
kebsdequebec.com
On Friday night at Pavillion de la Jeunesse, the Kebs hosted the Chicago Throwbacks and hoped to take a victory at home. But despite 27 points from Michael Anderson, and seven 3-point shots (and 27 points) from Larry House, the Kebs fell to the Throwbacks 109-104. Neale added 11 rebounds for a double-double for Les Kebs; while Jean-Philippe Morin's 16 points included 10-for-15 from the free throw line.
Rochester Razorsharks
39 State Street, Suite 100
Rochester NY 14614
Office: (585) 232-9190
Fax: (585) 232-8086
Head Coach: Rod Baker
Home Venue: Blue Cross Arena
razorsharks.com
In their last game before Monday night's matchup with the Augusta Groove, Razorsharks forward Keith Friel set the team's 3-point single-game scoring record, with 7 treys in a victory over Vermont. Against the Groove at Blue Cross Arena, Friel surpassed that mark, dropping eight 3-pointers into the cylinder, en route to a 35-point night and a 121-119 victory over the Groove. "They were giving me the open looks tonight," said Friel, "I wanted to keep aggressive. With Mook (James Reaves, currently on injured reserve), we pound the ball inside early, and in today's game I wanted to set the tone and be aggressive." While Friel was far and away the best 3-point shooter that night, the Razorsharks also had a few good men helping out, including getting 17 points from Jerice Crouch, 16 points from Xavier Morton, and 10 rebounds from Aaron Williams.
Friel continued his 3-point barrage on Saturday afternoon, as his 23 points - including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc - in Rochester's 123-110 victory over the Mid-Michigan Destroyers. Aaron Williams led the Razorsharks in scoring, with 24 points; Xavier Morton (15 pts) and Jerice Crouch (16 pts) also contributed to the Rochester victory.
Vermont Frost Heaves
4049 Williston Road
South Burlington VT 05403
Phone: (802) 860-0082
Fax: (802) 860-0085
Head coach: Will Voigt
Home arenas: Burlington Memorial Auditorium; Barre Municipal Auditorium
vermontfrostheaves.com
Benson Callier hit ten straight points in the fourth on his way to a game-high 21 scores, and John Williams hit a running eight footer with 28 seconds to go, giving the Frost Heaves a 100-98 Friday night divisional victory over the Halifax Rainmen. Callier was one of five Heaves to notch double figures in the game, joining Thomas Sanders (17), John Williams (14), Joe Nixon (12) and Greg Plummer (11). All of Nixon's 12 points were courtesy of four successful three-point shots. John Bryant had nine rebounds and four blocked shots in the Vermont win.
Wilmington Sea Dawgs
430 Eastwood Road, Suite 200
Wilmington NC 28403
Office: (910) 791-5523
Fax: (910) 256-4589
Head coach: Dale Kuhl
Home arena: Joe and Barbara Schwartz Center, Cape Fear CC
wilmingtonseadawgs.com
Joseph King led six Sea Dawgs in double figures, as his 19 points guided Wilmington to a 111-92 triumph over the Montreal Sasquat'ch. King's 19 points included going 5-for-10 from beyond 3-point range. Kris Clark had a double-double of 18 points and 10 assists, Cedric McGinnis added 16 points for the Cape Fear Crew.
Sunday evening at the Schwartz Center, the Wilmington Sea Dawgs picked up their biggest victory of the year - as they ended the 12-game unbeaten streak of the Battle Creek Knights, 121-117, staying only half a game behind the Rochester Razorsharks for first place in the PBL's Eastern Division. Alex Harper, who rested in last Saturday's game against Montreal, scored a team-high 33 points, including 10-for-15 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the free throw line. Jermaine Williams added 22 points, while Kadiri Richard and Brian Leggett each yanked down ten rebounds for Wilmington.
PBL TRIPLE DOUBLES
1/4/09, Jonas Pierre, Quebec vs. Manchester, 12 pts, 14 rebs, 11 blocks
PBL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jan 4 - Brian Silverhorn, Halifax
Jan 11 - AJ Millen, Augusta
Jan 18 - Cedric McGinnis, Wilmington
Jan 25 - James "Mook" Reaves, Rochester
Feb 1 - Rob Sanders, Halifax
Feb 8 - Kris Clark, Wilmington
Feb 15 - Desmond Ferguson, Manchester
PBL COACH OF THE MONTH
January - Terry Sare, Battle Creek
PBL "FOUR SCORE" HALFCOURT BASKETS
A "Four Score" shot occurs when a player completes a successful field goal from beyond halfcourt. The team receives four points for such a basket, while, for statistical purposes, the player is credited with two completed two-point field goals. A list of all successful "Four Scores" for the 2008-09 season are listed below.
1/2/09, Willie Mitchell, Detroit v. Mid-Michigan (4th quarter)
1/8/09, Alex Harper, Wilmington at Battle Creek (4th quarter)
1/9/09, Randy Gill, Montreal at Vermont (3rd quarter)
PBL TRANSACTIONS
February 16 Detroit Panthers - Releases Giovanni Riley.
Rochester Razorsharks - Places James Reaves on Injured Reserve. Activates Ron Rollerson.
February 18 Vermont Frost Heaves - Signs John Smith and Brian Graves. Releases Anthony Kyle and Brandon Cole.
Manchester Millrats - Signs Charles Mason. Releases PJ Young.
Chicago Throwbacks - Signs Willie Mitchell and Daaron Evans. Releases James Booyer and Michael Simms.
Mid-Michigan Destroyers - Signs Antonio Bond and Antonio Jones. Releases Troy Coleman and Travis Lewis.
February 20 Detroit Panthers - Signs Michael Mancel. Places James Head on Injured Reserve.
Augusta Groove - Signs Kevin Wilkinson.
February 21 Buffalo Stampede - Signs Ernest Jones and Kevin Ross. Places Dain Swetalla on Injured Reserve.
PBL BROADCAST SCHEDULE
@SPORTSTV (http://www.at-sportstv.com)
Sunday, March 22 Manchester at Halifax, 1:00est
Saturday, March 14 Augusta at Rochester, 2:05est
Tuesday, March 17 Wilmington at Rochester, 7:05est
Sunday, March 22 Buffalo at Rochester, 1:05est
Saturday, March 28 Montreal at Halifax, 6:00est
Saturday, March 28 Chicago at Rochester, 2:05est
PBL PLAYOFF FORMAT AND DETERMINATIONS:
The division winners in each of the three PBL divisions will receive an automatic bid to the playoffs. The two teams with the next best overall regular season record will play a one game wildcard playoff game to determine the fourth team. The wildcard game will be played on the home court of the best record between the two competing teams.
The teams will be seeded 1-4 based on regular season records. If there is a tie for a seeding, the tie breaker system described below will be implemented. Seed #1 will play Seed #4 and Seed #2 will play Seed #3 in a best of three format. The higher seed will have home court advantage and host games 1 and 3 (if necessary). Game two will be played at the lower seeds home court.
The two winners of the 1st Round of Playoffs will advance to the best of three Championship Finals. Home court advantage will belong to the club with the higher seed and they will host games 1 and 3 (if necessary). Game two will be played at the lower seeds home court.
The "Magic Numbers" shown indicate the number of wins by the leading wild card team, combined with the number of losses by the team not in the wild card lead, that will eliminate that team from playoff contention. The two numbers shown are the comparisons between the first and second wild card teams, and the team outside of the wild card lead.
TIE-BREAKER SYSTEM: In case of a tie, the winner of the division or a playoff position will be determined by (1) winning percentage; (2) if still a tie, head-to-head record shall determine the winner; (3) if still a tie, head-to-head record against each team in their division will determine the winner; (4) if still a tie, points scored in head to head competition will determine the winner; (5) and if still a tie, average margin of victory in head to head competition will determine the winner.
Premier Basketball League Stories from February 23, 2009
- Rainmen Sign Reggie George And Release Kevin Hammack - Halifax Rainmen
- PBL Weekly Report - PBL
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.
