Poole Nets Player of the Week Award Following Big Weekend

Published on May 23, 2014 under International Basketball League (IBL) News Release

Off to a rocky start for the 2014 season, the Bellingham Slam needed an all-star performance from 6'5" C Blake Poole in order to defend home court in a pair of games last weekend, and that is exactly what they got from the talented big man from Saint Martin's University in his fourth season with the Slam.

With a prime opportunity to help the Slam pad their record with home games against the Seattle Flight and Olympia Reign, Poole came up big, scoring a combined 43 points and posting consecutive double-doubles. For this effort, Poole earned the latest IBL Player of the Week award presented by Prink Technologies.

In May 16's win over the Flight, Poole was in near-perfect form, coming just one assist shy of a triple-double with 22 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists. Poole showed his versatility by scoring from anywhere on the floor and finished with a 4-of-8 mark from three-point range.

With little rest, Poole was back on the floor the next night and still in top form, leading the Slam to their second win in two weeks over the Olympia Reign, 120-100. Poole's numbers were nearly as stellar on this night, with a stat line of 21 points, 17 rebounds and career-high 6 steals. Poole's individual effort was just part of a larger, more impressive showing from the entire team, which featured two other players scoring at least 20.

The Slam will need similar efforts from Poole this weekend as the squad faces perhaps its toughest stretch of the season, with two road games against Portland and Vancouver, followed by another meeting with the Volcanoes at home on Memorial Day.

IBL week four game recaps

The fourth week of the IBL schedule was a quiet one with just three exciting games played.

On May 16, the Bellingham Slam made their annual trip to Lynden, Washington to host a home game against the Seattle Flight. Like the season opener between the two teams, it was a lopsided win for the Slam, 124-99, who received a near triple-double effort from 6'5" C Blake Poole. He finished with 22 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists, while 6'3" G Morris Anderson enjoyed another strong game with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting. For Seattle, 6'7" F Brandon Adams led all scorers with 28 points and as a result makes his debut on the in-game watch list heading into week five.

The Slam weren't finished following their big win over the Flight, as they returned to Whatcom Pavilion on May 17 for their second game of the season against the Olympia Reign. Reign Head Coach Vladimir Stepania had his team ready, but the Bellingham pulled away late for a 120-100 victory. 6'4" G Jacob Stevenson led the way with 29 points, while Poole stayed hot by posting another double-double, this time with 21 points and 17 boards. 6'3" G Avery Sharer was strong in defeat for the Reign, scoring 27 points.

Also on May 17, the Portland Chinooks headed across the bridge for another game against their rivals, the Vancouver Volcanoes. Unlike their last meeting on May 4 when the Volcanoes mounted a huge comeback to win, the Chinooks held them off and won 119-110. 6'2" G Andre Murray was up to his usual tricks with 28 points, but this time he was outdone by a solid team effort from Portland which featured 25 points from 6'9" F Jared Cunningham and 19 from 6'6" F Germain Jordan. The loss for Vancouver knocked them out of the unbeaten ranks and put both teams in a first place tie with 5-1 records.

In-game watch list for week five

1. 6'2" G Andre Murray (Vancouver Volcanoes)

The 2012 IBL MVP, Murray continues to lead the IBL in points, assists, and steals per game. On the season, Murray is averaging 33.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in 6 games. Murray is also averaging less than 1 turnover per game to compliment his 7.7 assists.

2. 6'5" C Blake Poole (Bellingham Slam)

The 2013 IBL Championship Game MVP and most recent IBL Player of the Week recipient, Poole is averaging 18.1 points, 15.1 rebounds (leads the league), 5.5 assists, and 3.3 steals.

3. 6'6" F Germain Jordan (Portland Chinooks)

Jordan has continued his steady all-around play for the Chinooks, and is averaging 27.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 5 games.

4. 6'9" F Jared Cunningham (Portland Chinooks)

Cunningham is climbing the rankings, while his team is finding their groove. Now, in five games Cunningham is averaging 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 34.0 minutes.

5. 6'7" C Joe Burton (Salem Sabres)

Despite an abbreviated season, Burton has put up impressive numbers for Salem, and remains a top prospect. In two games for the Sabres, Burton is averaging 22.5 points, and 14.5 rebounds.

6. 6'3'' G Morris Anderson (Bellingham Slam)

In six games (six starts), Anderson continues to shoot 50% from long range, and is averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. Anderson can hurt teams in multiple ways.

7. 6'7'' F Brandon Adams (Seattle Flight)

Similar to Joe Burton, Adams is playing an abbreviated IBL schedule this season, but has been stellar in doing so. In two games, Adams has averaged an impressive 23.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks.

8. 6'10'' C Calvin Hampton (Vancouver Volcanoes)

The big man keeps on trucking for Vancouver and in six games is averaging 1.6 blocks. Hampton is also averaging 13.1 points and 10.6 rebounds in 30 minutes.

9. 6'4'' G Jacob Stevenson (Bellingham Slam)

Coming off a 29-point effort in a win over the Olympia Reign, Stevenson lands back on the Watch List. Stevenson is averaging 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.7 steals in 30 minutes per game.

10. 6'9'' F Brian Morris (Vancouver Volcanoes)

In his first two games for the Volcanoes, Morris has been incredibly efficient. In 24.0 minutes of work, Morris has averaged 21.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists.

International Basketball League Stories from May 23, 2014

• Poole's Monster Double-Double Helps Slam to 106-86 Win in Portland - Bellingham Slam
• Poole Nets Player of the Week Award Following Big Weekend - IBL

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