Slam advance to conference final with 129-101 win over Edmonton
June 28, 2008 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
MONROE, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam defended their top playoff seeding as they routed the Edmonton Chill, 129-101, in International Basketball League Western Conference Championship semi-final action on Saturday afternoon at the Monroe Sports Arena. The win puts the Slam into the conference final against either Central Oregon or Vancouver on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Early on the game gave the appearance that it would be a close, hard-fought contest throughout. Despite early foul trouble, the Chill trailed the Slam by jut five, at 27-22, after the first quarter.
But the Slam came alive in the second quarter, keyed by 16 points in the period by Brandon Hartley. Bellingham erupted with a 24-4 run during the middle stages of the quarter to break the game wide open, leading 57-29 at the 3:51 mark. The run was punctuated by an NBA-caliber spin move and lay-in by Ryan Diggs, undressing a Chill defender in the process. The Slam led 67-42 at halftime.
The third quarter proved to be more of the same for Bellingham, as they used steady production from their starters to max out their lead at 44 points, at 101-57 before going into the fourth quarter with a 40-point advantage. An thunderous alley-oop dunk by Diggs from a Hartley feed in the closing moments of the quarter produced the night's biggest cheers from the partisan crowd.
With an insurmountable lead in the fourth quarter, coach Ridnour rested his starters in preparation for Sunday's conference championship and let the Slam's reserves see the bulk of the action. The Chill outscored the Slam 38-26 in the quarter to account for the final margin.
Tyler Amaya and Hartley shared team-high scoring honors for the Slam with 24 points apiece, while Diggs and Paul Hafford contributed 21 points each. Amaya was also the game's leading rebounder with 12 boards.
The Chill, who ended their inaugural season with a 13-9 record, were led by Rashaun Broadus' 24 points. Despite the lopsided score, the Chill did win the battle of the boards, 69-68.
The Slam will now face the winner of Saturday's other semi-final game, either Vancouver or Central Oregon, at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday to decide the conference championship.
For more information, contact the Slam at (360) 734-SLAM or visit their website at www.bellinghamslam.com.
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International Basketball League Stories from June 28, 2008
- Solid Year 1 Comes to a Close - Edmonton Chill
- Slam advance to conference final with 129-101 win over Edmonton - Bellingham Slam
- Explosion End the Season with a Heartbreak loss - Snohomish County Explosion
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