Slam Comeback Falls Short in 119-116 Loss to Portland
May 3, 2014 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam erased a 19-point second half deficit but couldn't complete the comeback in a 119-116 loss to the Portland Chinooks in International Basketball League action on Friday at Whatcom Pavilion.
With only eight players available to play, the Slam struggled early against a deep Chinooks roster and trailed for nearly the entire first half. Portland led 58-53 at halftime.
Things got worse in the third quarter, as the Slam defense allowed 37 points and Portland extended their advantage 89-70, their biggest lead of the game, with 3:43 left. But the Slam showed no quit, trimming the gap to 10, at 95-85, by the end of the period.
In the middle stages of the fourth quarter, guard Morris Anderson took the comeback into his own hands by scoring 13 points in a 15-2 run to tie the game at 109, finished off on a layup from center Blake Poole with 3:25 left. But Portland scored on their next two possessions, before the teams traded baskets to make the score 116-111 with 2:10 remaining.
Anderson came through again with his fifth three-pointer of the game, followed by an up-and-under from guard Jacob Stevenson that knotted the score again at 116.
After a Portland turnover on the next possession, the Slam squandered a chance to take the lead by committing a turnover of their own. After a Chinooks lay-in with 32 seconds left, the Slam had two more tries at tying the game in the dying seconds but could not convert.
Anderson led Bellingham (1-2) with a game-high 27 points, while Stevenson and guard Sam Freeman each had 19.
Portland (3-0) was led by forward Germain Jordan, who posted a triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
The setback was the first loss at home for the Slam since April 21, 2012 and ended a 22-game home win streak.
The Slam will look to regroup with a home-and-home series against the Olympia Reign next weekend. They host the Reign on Friday, May 9 with a 7 p.m. tip-off scheduled for Whatcom Pavilion, before traveling to Olympia on May 10.
• Discuss this story on the International Basketball League message board...
International Basketball League Stories from May 3, 2014
- Slam Comeback Falls Short in 119-116 Loss to Portland - Bellingham Slam
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.
