Slam Heads to Orlando this Weekend
Published on May 3, 2012 under International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam are heading far away from home this weekend as the team travels to Florida to take on the Orlando Venom in a pair of games Friday and Saturday.
Traveling to the east coast has not proved fortuitous in the past for the Slam, as the team holds a 1-7 record in games played in the Eastern time zone since the franchise started in 2005. The last time the Slam traveled back east was in 2010 to New York for the International Basketball League championship game, which they lost to the Albany Legends.
Currently, the Slam goes into the third week of the IBL season with a 2-1 record and is coming off a 112-100 victory at home to the Portland Chinooks last Saturday.
The Slam have been receiving notable contributions from several veteran players early this season, including center Blake Poole who comes into this weekend's action with averages of 19 points and 12 rebounds per game. He is coming off a particularly strong game against Portland, in which he scored 20 points and pulled down 16 boards.
At the point, guard Morris Anderson has been guiding the team and finds himself among the league's assist leaders, with an average of 6 per game. He has complemented his playmaying abilities with a 20 point per game scoring average and is also collecting 5 rebounds per game.
On the wing, Paul Hafford has once again shown himself to be one of the league's best shooters, averaging 19.3 points per game and a three-point shooting mark of 40 percent. He led all scorers with 21 points in last weekend's win over Portland.
The Slam's opponent this weekend, the Venom, is new to the IBL this season and is still searching for their first win after dropping a pair of home games last weekend to last season's league runner-up, the Edmonton Energy.
The Venom feature a balanced attack, but notable players the Slam will need to focus on include guard Terrence Hundley, a former IBL All-Star with the B.C. Titans, and 7-foot center Gjio Bain. Hundley is leading the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game, while Bain has been a formidable presence down low, scoring 13 points per game and leading Orlando in rebounding with a rebounding average of 10.5.
Both games against the Venom this weekend will take place at the Winter Park Community Center, with a 7 p.m. Eastern time tip-off both Friday and Saturday. Live statistics for the game will be provided online at http://livestats.bellinghamslam.com.
Following this weekend's road trip, the Slam return to Bellingham to take on the Vancouver Volcanoes, the defending IBL Champions, on May 11. A 7 p.m. tip-off is set for Whatcom Pavilion. The game will be broadcast live on KBAI-AM 930 and online at www.930kbai.com.
For more information, contact the Slam at (360) 734-SLAM or visit their website at www.bellinghamslam.com.
International Basketball League Stories from May 3, 2012
- Slam Heads to Orlando this Weekend - Bellingham Slam
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