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February 9, 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
The Augusta Groove took a trip to the Schwartz Center for a home-and-home against the Wilmington Sea Dawgs, and on Friday night the Groove started the half with a 61-46 lead - but Wilmington came back, and picked up a close 110-109 win. Augusta's PBL-leading scorer, AJ Millien, was held to 2 points in the first half and 21 points overall, but he did finish with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Donielle Davis' 29 points were tops for the Groove, making him the first person other than Millien to lead Augusta in scoring.
On Sunday afternoon, the Groove returned to Richmond Academy, hoping to get revenge against the Sea Dawgs at home. But with AJ Millien limited to 22 points, the Groove stumbled out of the gate and fell 100-91, dropping to third place in the PBL's Eastern Division. Donielle Davis added 20 points for Augusta in the loss.
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
Make it eight wins without a loss for the Battle Creek Knights, as they achieved a 104-101 victory over the Quebec Kebs at Kellogg Arena, on the strength of a three-pointer from Allen White with 22 seconds left in regulation. Six Knights put up double-figure scoring for Battle Creek, led by Kenny Langhorne's 20 points; Rashi Johnson hit 18 points; while White and Chris Gaines added 14 points apiece. Johnson also had five assists and stole the ball four times; while White led the Knights in steals with 5 thefts.
The Knights increased their unbeaten streak to nine games, with a 117-112 domination of the Chicago Throwbacks on Friday night. Once again, it was another balanced attack for the Knights, as seven players scored in double figures, led by Kenny Langhorne's 19 points. Rashi Johnson led the Cereal Crew with 12 assists to augment his 16 points; Deon Rose's 12 points all came from beyond three-point range.
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
The Buffalo Stampede's woes continued, as a road trip to Southern New Hampshire University provided the Erie County Crew with a rough 116-107 loss to the Manchester Millrats. In the loss, however, Karl Rainey set a Stampede scoring record with an amazing 43 points, just two points behind the PBL's all-time single-player record of 45 points in a game. Rainey went to the free throw line 23 times, and hit 19 shots from the charity stripe. Tyrone Rayson had a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds; Marcus Price (14 pts) and Edmund Rainey (13 pts) also had strong nights for the Stampede.
The Stampede returned to the Koessler Center, hosting the Vermont Frost Heaves in a Saturday afternoon matchup. But the Heaves became the proverbial bump in the road for the Stampede, as Buffalo fell 119-91 for the Stampede's eighth straight loss. Markus Price's 21 points were tops for the Stampede, Price also had six assists. Karl Rainey added 19 points; Dain Swetella and Tyrone Rayson put up 11 points apiece for the Erie County Crew.
Chicago Throwbacks
430 East 162nd Street, Suite 507
South Holland IL 60473
Office: (219) 588-3071
Fax: (219) 884-4558
Head coach: Donnie Boyce
Home arena: Attack Athletics
chicagothrowbacks.com
The Chicago Throwbacks traveled to Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, hoping to become the first team to take a victory over the Battle Creek Knights this season. It did not happen, although the Throwbacks remained close the entire contest, they finished Friday night with a 117-112 loss. Stanley Thomas pounded 29 points into the hoop; while Dameon Mason and Michael Herman hit 19 points apiece. Anthony Simmons had 11 rebounds to lead the Throwbacks in that category.
Things improved for the Throwbacks on the road in Detroit, as they battled the Detroit Panthers on Sunday night, keeping the score close for 48 minutes. But at the final moments, it was Imari Sawyer's clutch free throws that gave the Throwbacks the win, 114-113. Dameon Mason's 24 points were clutch for the Throwbacks; Casey Love had a strong double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds; Stanley Thomas, the Throwbacks' all-time leading scorer, put 20 more points on the scoreboard.
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
Randy "White Chocolate" Gill joined his new team, the Detroit Panthers, as they hosted the Chicago Throwbacks at Birmingham Groves High School on Sunday evening. Gill hit a quartet of 3-pointers for 18 points; Stane's Bufford (28 points) and Brian Woodland (22 pts) also had four 3-pointers apiece; but in the final moments, the Panthers could only watch as Chicago's Imari Sawyer's final free throws gave the Chicago Throwbacks a 114-113 victory.
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
4,000 people packed the Metro Centre for Halifax's Sunday afternoon home game against the Vermont Frost Heaves; the fans cheered the return to the Rainmen lineup of Eric "Air Canada" Crookshank; they cheered new head coach Les Berry, and in the end, they cheered a 108-97 triumph over Vermont. Tony Bennett led the Rainmen in scoring with 28 points; Brian Silverhorn, back in playing form, dropped 25 points in the hoop. Crookshank's return came with 14 points and eight rebounds in the Halifax triumph.
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
On Friday night, the Manchester Millrats retained possession of first place in the PBL's Atlantic Division, by handing the Buffalo Stampede their sixth straight defeat, 116-107. Desmond Ferguson's 19 points made him one of six Millrats with double-figure scoring; the man known as "Moneyball" also hit four three-pointers in the Millrats victory. Sam Carey led the team with 10 rebounds; he also put 18 points on the scoreboard. Kenyon Gamble led the Millrats with five blocked shots.
The Millrats continued their hot streak Sunday afternoon, as they completely dominated the Quebec Kebs 94-82. Manchester actually held Quebec to 49 points after three quarters, one of the stingiest defensive runs in Millrats franchise history. Desmond Ferguson led all Millrats in scoring with 26 points, including 17 in the first quarter, while Kenyon Gamble and Sam Carey each had 10 rebounds apiece in the Millrats victory.
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
On Saturday afternoon, Odgra Bobo hit 28 points, while Melvin White hit 14 points and 12 rebounds, but the Mid-Michigan Destroyers could not prevail against the Rochester Razorsharks, dropping a 141-86 road loss to the Sharks. Kendrick Cornelius also had 14 points in the Destroyers defeat.
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
The Quebec Kebs faced the Battle Creek Knights Thursday night at Kellogg Arena, and the Kebs actually raced out to an early lead and finished the first quarter 34-22. But despite 20 points apiece from Michael Anderson and Larry House, the Kebs could not hold on to the lead in the final seconds, and fell 104-101 to the Knights. House and Jean-Phillippe Morin each had nine rebounds; House also dished out seven assists in the Kebs loss.
The Kebs' road troubles continued, as they suffered a defeat at the hands of the Manchester Millrats, 94-82. The Kebs could not get their offense together, scoring only 10 points in the first quarter, garnering only 30 points at halftime, and 49 total points at the end of three quarters. But in the fourth quarter, Michael Anderson hit back-to-back 3-pointers en route to 13 points and 11 rebounds, allowing the Kebs to close their deficit. Jean-Philippe Morin finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds; while Alfred Neale put 20 points on the scoreboard.
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
Although the Razorsharks started the season 1-3, the Razorsharks pounded their next four opponents by an average victory margin of 24 points. Even with that, the Sharks welcomed the Mid-Michigan Destroyers to Blue Cross Arena Saturday night. The Sharks started off with an 11-0 run, extended that to a 21-1 mark, and eventually finished with their largest margin of victory in PBL history, a 141-86 triumph in front of 5,163 at Blue Cross Arena. Jerice Crouch was the high scorer for the Sharks, with 25 points; Sammy Monroe's 21 points included going 3-for-6 from the three-point line. James "Mook" Reaves (16 pts, 12 rebs) and Fred Durr (12 pts, 10 rebs) had double-doubles for the Sharks, who moved into first place in the PBL's Eastern Division with the win.
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
The Vermont Frost Heaves started off their Saturday afternoon matchup against Buffalo by running off an 18-2 start - then followed it with a 13-0 run, en route to a 119-91 triumph at the Koessler Center. The Heaves finished the first quarter with a 33-16 lead, then packed on the points as the game continued, and never looked back. Benson Callier led all Heaves in scoring, with 25 points; John Williams had 14 points and 12 assists for a double-double; Joe Nixon continued his three-point barrage, hitting 12 of his 14 points from beyond the arc.
Things didn't work out as well for the Heaves Sunday afternoon, as they traveled to Halifax for a game against the Rainmen. Despite starting off the game with a 12-4 run, with help from a Thomas Sanders jumper and a three from Richard Millsap, the Heaves watched as Halifax jumped back in the game going on a 16-1 run en route to a 108-97 victory over Vermont. John Williams finished as the high scorer with 26 points; Anthony Kyle (14 pts) and Joseph Williams (13 pts) also had strong games for the Green Mountain crew.
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
With the final seconds ticking down, Wilmington's Kris Clark hit a game-winning jumper, as his team-high 36 points helped Wilmington defeat Augusta 110-109, gaining a full game on the PBL's Eastern Division. Cedric McGinnis added a strong double-double for Wilmington, with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Wilmington's bench outscored Augusta's secondary 43-30, and surpassed the Groove in turnover points 24-9 in the contest.
Both teams then traveled to Richmond Academy, where the Sea Dawgs' Joseph King's 20 points helped Wilmington take another victory from the Augusta Groove, 100-91. King was one of five members of the Cape Fear Crew with double-figure scoring; he was followed by Cedric McGinnis (19 pts), Jermaine Williams (18 pts) and Kris Clark (17 pts).
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
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 3 Halifax Rainmen - Terminates the contract of coach Rick Lewis. Names Shannon Hanson Interim Coach. Releases Rodney Mayes.
February 4 Halifax Rainmen - Reinstates Eric Crookshank to the active roster.
Wilmington Sea Dawgs - Releases Travis Lay.
Mid-Michigan Destroyers - Signs Kendrick Cornelius. Releases Chuck Reed.
February 5 Halifax Rainmen - Names Len Berry head coach.
February 6 Detroit Panthers - Signs Randy Gill through Montreal Sasquat'ch dispersal draft. Waives Willie Mitchell.
Quebec Kebs - Selects John Ruffus in the Montreal Sasquat'ch dispersal draft.
Rochester Razorsharks - Selects Xavier Morton in the Montreal Sasquat'ch dispersal draft.
Manchester Millrats - Selects Jamaal Wise in the Montreal Sasquat'ch dispersal draft.
Vermont Frost Heaves - Suspends Anthony Fuqua for remainder of season without pay. Signs Brian Monahan.
Mid-Michigan Destroyers - Signs Justin Blevins. Releases Dave Williams.
Buffalo Stampede - Signs Chuck Reed.
PBL BROADCAST SCHEDULE
@SPORTSTV (http://www.at-sportstv.com)
Friday, February 13 Detroit at Halifax, 5:00est
Sunday, February 15 Quebec at Halifax, 1:00est
Monday, February 16 Augusta at Rochester, 5:05est
Friday, February 20 Vermont at Halifax, 6:00est
Saturday, February 21 Mid-Mich. at Rochester, 2:05est
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 TBA at Halifax, 6:00est
Saturday, March 28 Chicago at Rochester, 2:05est
Premier Basketball League Stories from February 9, 2009
- PBL Conducts Dispersal Draft - PBL
- PBL weekly - 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.
