Phil Givens explodes for 57 points in regular-season finale
June 23, 2008 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Los Angeles Lightning News Release
THOUSAND OAKS June 23, 2008 - Phil Givens scored 57 points to lead the L.A. Lightning to a 140-124 victory over the Arizona Flame in an International Basketball League game on Saturday night at Cal Lutheran's Gilbert Sports Arena.
Givens started fast in the IBL regular-season finale, with 21 first-quarter points on 9-of-10 shooting. After scoring 26 in the first half, Givens tallied 27 points in the third quarter, matching the Flame's team total for the quarter. With the game in control Phil played limited minutes in the fourth quarter scoring only 3 points. He finished the game one point shy of tying the IBL single-game high for this season.
This outburst comes as no surprise to the Lightning's Coach, Ron Quarterman. "Phil is a real good player and he brought it tonight," said Coach Ron Quarterman. "I started him and once he got it rolling,he was rolling. He's a solid player - inside and out - and he can shoot the 3." But it might have been a shock to the Lightning's fans who probably would have expected a 50 point game from one of the 4 former NBA Players on the Lightning's roster; Lamont Murray, Tobey Bailey, Fred Vinson or Keith Closs.
Phil spent the 2007-08 season in the ABA with the Orange County Gladiators, where he averaged 14.7 points per game. Prior to that, he played for the Tijuana Dragons where he averaged 25.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Givens started his college career at West Los Angeles College, where he averaged 17.4 points per game and led his team to the league runner-up title as a sophomore. Givens transferred to California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he averaged 13.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per games as a senior.
Phil Givens is a native of Los Angeles where he played both basketball and volleyball for Manual Arts High School. During his senior year,Givens averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds.
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