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Saint John Mill Rats at Rochester RazorSharks Gameday Primer

March 2, 2011 - Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Rochester RazorSharks News Release


Rochester plays the last of its six Premier Basketball League games against the Canadian based teams. The RazorSharks put their playoff aspirations on the line against the Saint John Mill Rats, in a battle of teams rebuilt on the fly around four new players.

The RazorSharks (5-7) have won three of their last four games in a seven game home stand to climb back into the playoff race. They come off a dominating 119-106 win over the Dayton Air Strikers. Center Jared Carter scored a PBL career high 24 points with 10 rebounds. Carter also leads the PBL in blocked shots.

Eric Walton has led the team in scoring four of the last six games. He is averaging 17 points and more than 8 rebounds per game over that stretch.

Since losing to Saint John, the Sharks have added forwards Mike Williams and Sammy Monroe. With both those players in the lineup, Rochester is 3-1, losing only to Lawton in overtime. The team is 2-6 without them.

The Sharks are 4-2 at home with both losses coming in overtime. They're 1-5 on the road. Four of Rochester's final five games are away.

The Mill Rats (6-5) have enjoyed a remarkable one year turnaround. Playing in Manchester, NH, last season, the team finished 6-14. They are currently fourth in the seven team PBL, a game and a half ahead of Rochester for the final PBL playoff berth.

Saint John has benefited from Vermont's folding in January. The Rats added two productive players from the Frost Heaves. Point guard Dwuan Rice has averaged 14.4 points and 5.2 assists in five games. Ross Demasi averages 10.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in those same five games. Saint John won four of them.

The Mill Rats defeated the RazorSharks 100-91 in January. Anthony Anderson scored his season high 24 points. Rob Diggs scored 23 in his debut. Diggs has averaged just 9 points since. Marc Edgerson has 56 points in his last two games. He scored just 2 against Rochester.

Of note: The five games played between Rochester and the three Canada based teams, Saint John, Halifax and Quebec, have all been won by the home team.

Of note: There will be a Slam Dunk contest at halftime featuring six members of the Carlson Metrocenter YMCA. 21 year old David Moore is the two time defending champion.

Of note: RazorShark great Demond Stewart out of Greece Olympia High School is expected to serve as one of the Slam Dunk Contest celebrity judges. Stewart was an original member of the Rochester team. He played four seasons with the RazorSharks and helped lead them to three league championships.

Of note: Rochester's Jerice Crouch can eclipse Stewart's record for consecutive games played as a RazorShark. Demond's record is 85. Crouch has 81 with eight games left this regular season.

Quotable: Rochester coach Rod Baker on the importance of tonight's game:

"It's enormous. We don't play them again. This is the only chance we have to impact our future."

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