Poole Leads Slam to 123-100 Win over Orlando
Published on May 5, 2012 under International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Bellingham Slam received another strong performance from center Blake Poole as they easily dispatched the Orlando Venom, 123-100, in International Basketball League action at the Winter Park Community Center on Saturday.
Poole finished with game highs of 27 points and 15 rebounds, good for his fourth double-double in five games this season.
After a hard-fought contest Friday night, Both teams struggled to hit their shots early on in the re-match, with the two teams combining for only 43 points in the first quarter with Bellingham leading 23-20. Forward Michael Duty continued his strong play from the previous night with eight points in the quarter.
The second quarter saw the Slam find their rhythm while the Venom largely remained flat. Bellingham held Orlando to just 16 points in the quarter, and used a flurry of scores in the period's final five minutes to break open a close game and take a 20-point advantage into halftime, at 56-36.
The third quarter saw the Slam extend their lead to 27, at 97-64, on particularly strong play from rookie forward Zach Henifin. Henifin finished the night with season highs of 14 points and 8 rebounds.
Orlando's offense finally started clicking in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late and Bellingham successfully defended against their comeback attempt. Twelve straight Venom points midway through the quarter shrunk a 31-point Slam lead down to 19, at 103-84 with 7:16 left, but the visitors steadied the ship and cruised the rest of the way.
Poole's leading stat line was followed by six other Slam players who scored in double figures. Forward Paul Hafford had 18 points while Duty and guard Jacob Stevenson each finished with 17.
Guard Iren Rainey paced Orlando with 23 points on 9-for-16, while guard David Wood finished with 19.
The victory gave Bellingham (4-1) their fifth straight road victory dating back to the 2011 season, establishing a new team record. Orlando (0-4) remained winless and is still searching for their franchise's first victory.
The Slam return to Bellingham to take on the Vancouver Volcanoes, the defending IBL Champions, on Friday, May 11. A 7 p.m. tip-off is set for Whatcom Pavilion. The game will be broadcast live on KBAI-AM 930 and online at www.930kbai.com.
For more information, contact the Slam at (360) 734-SLAM or visit their website at www.bellinghamslam.com.
International Basketball League Stories from May 5, 2012
- Poole Leads Slam to 123-100 Win over Orlando - Bellingham Slam
- 2012 Regular season gets underway - IBL
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