Slam win eighth straight, breeze past Olympia 158-123

May 9, 2008 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release


BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Bellingham Slam used a balanced attack as they soundly defeated the Olympia Reign, 158-123, in an International Basketball League counter at Whatcom Pavilion on Friday night.

Fed by a combined 22 first quarter points from Ryan Diggs and Jared Stevenson, the Slam jetted out to a 47-31 lead after the first quarter. Bellingham opened the game with a furious tempo and were on pace to score 200 points for much of the quarter before slowing down.

After falling behind early, Olympia regained their composure and played solidly in the second and third quarters. The Reign were only outscored by five points during those two periods, before the Slam's athleticism got the better of them in the fourth quarter.

Paul Hafford and Jacob Stevenson shared high scorer honors for the Slam with 25 points each. Diggs was not far behind with 24 points while Tyler Amaya had another strong game with a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds.

The Slam enjoyed their best shooting night of the season, connecting on 59.1 percent of their shots from the floor. They also dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Reign by a 68-42 margin.

The Slam were forced to play Olympia on Friday after their originally scheduled opponent, the Shaanxi Kylins from China, experienced immigration problems and could not enter the country in time.

The Reign were led by the duo of Greg Johnson and Sam Moore, who scored 28 points apiece to share game-high scoring honors.

The Slam continue their May homestand with a game against the Central Oregon Hotshots on May 16. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at Whatcom Pavilion.



International Basketball League Stories from May 9, 2008


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