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Royal pain

January 20, 2007 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Cape Cod Frenzy News Release


Montreal, Canada: The Cape Cod Frenzy, filling in as a road team for the second time in five days, lost to the newly named Montreal Royal 89-84.

The Frenzy, who were missing two starters and two coaches, were only able to dress eight players. And it showed early as Montreal jumped out to a 21-7 lead. But reserve guards Bilal Dawan-Abdullah and Rashid Al-Kaleem wasted no time making an impact. Two threes by Abdullah followed by one by Al-Kaleem cut the lead to 21-16. Montreal then rattled off six straight points for a 27-16 first quarter score.

In the second quarter, Montreal became a real 'Royal pain' behind the hot shooting of Shawn "Smoke" Browne (17 points in the first half). 7'2 Pascal Fleury was being guarded all night by 6'6 Raheim Lamb; his dunk with 1:28 left in the first half gave the host team a 50-28 advantage. 'Murphy's Law' was in effect when 7'0 third string Montreal center Dominic Cambron nailed a three pointer. Montreal led 54-34 at the half.

The undermanned Frenzy squad faced a critical choice: write themselves off to circumstances or come out fighting.

They chose the latter.

A pesky Frenzy defense began to pay dividends. Sly McIntosh nailed a three pointer. Then 2007 ABA All Star forward Rob Sanders showed all 40 inches of his vertical leap as he pounded a one hand baseline slam over 6'11 megolith E.J. Uche Okafor. Suddenly it was 60-49 game.

Raheim Lamb hit four free throws to make it 60-53. Then came the 'Rashid Al-Kaleem Show'. First he hit a three pointer. Then he nailed a turnaround jumper. After a steal, Al-Kaleem took it coast to coast, faked a behind-the-back pass, and cruised in for the lay in. It was now a one point game at 62-61!

In the fourth, Montreal built a new seven point lead. But the Frenzy rallied again and claimed their first lead of the game, 81-80 lead with 30 seconds left!

All that separated them from victory now was one stop. Rob Sanders snatched the defensive rebound, and while the Frenzy coaches were screaming 'time out', the ball popped out between Sanders and Hailey. A Montreal player grabbed the loose ball and laid it in, and was fouled by Hailey. This disaster of epic proportions gave Montreal a four point play, and a three point lead: 84-81.

The senselessness of the situation was compounded by the fact that three Frenzy steals and scores were not awarded '3D status by the referees, that the Frenzy were a miserable 19 of 41 from the free throw line, and that such a big hole was dug from the beginning.

An Al-Kaleem three pointer and Montreal free throws accounted for the 89-84 final score.

The Frenzy were led by Rashid Al-Kaleem's 28 points. Rob Sanders had 23 and Raheim Lamb added 16. The leading scorer for the Royal was Shawn Browne with 23.

The Frenzy try to regroup on the road Saturday night at 7:05 PM as they face the Newark Express.

For more information contact Frenzy GM Ian McCarthy at ian@capecodfrenzy.com or visit www.capecodfrenzy.com or www.abalive.com.

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.

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American Basketball Association Stories from January 20, 2007


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.

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