Slam pushing for top playoff seed going into season's final quarter
June 4, 2009 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - With just five games left in their regular season, the Bellingham Slam find themselves with a commanding lead in the International Basketball League's North Division, but is battling with several teams to secure the number one seed in the IBL's playoff tournament coming in July.
The IBL has grouped teams into two brackets, American and National, to play in two separate tournaments hosted by the Snohomish County Explosion in Monroe starting July 1. The winners of the two tournaments will meet in the IBL Championship Game in mid-July.
The Slam (currently 12-3) are part of the American bracket, which also features the Holland Blast (11-2), Edmonton Energy (8-2), Vancouver Volcanoes (11-3), Central Oregon Hotshots (4-6), and Vancouver Titans (4-11). The top two teams in each bracket will receive a bye into the tournament semi-finals, and would then need two wins to reach the league championship game.
For the Slam to grab the top seed in the bracket, they will likely need to win the remainder of their regular season games, which includes two tough road contests in Tacoma and Portland. The Slam claimed the number one seed in last season's conference tournament with a 16-4 record.
The Slam will be aided by the return of Ryan Diggs, who scored 25 points against the Vancouver Titans on May 29 in his first game back with the Slam. Diggs will complement the abilities of IBL MVP candidate Tyler Amaya, who is leading the team with averages of a 26.3 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.
The Slam begin the final quarter of their regular season Friday, when they take on the Oregon Waves at Whatcom Pavilion at 7 p.m. Oregon's roster boasts seven former Division-I players, including four from the Pac-10. Their lineup also features both the shortest and tallest players in the IBL - former Portland State point guard Jeremiah Dominguez at 5'6" and ex-Southern Utah big man Brad Kanis at 7'2".
For more information, contact the Slam at (360) 734-SLAM or visit their website at www.bellinghamslam.com.
International Basketball League Stories from June 4, 2009
- Slam pushing for top playoff seed going into season's final quarter - Bellingham Slam
- Explosion Prepping for Playoffs and the IBL All-Star Game - Snohomish County Explosion
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