Slam Win in Portland Marred by Controversial Finish
May 3, 2013 - International Basketball League (IBL)
Bellingham Slam News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. "" The Bellingham Slam came out on the winning side of a hard-fought International Basketball League contest against the Portland Chinooks, 112-103, at the Eastmoreland Courts on Friday evening, but not before a fourth quarter controversy. After a competitive first three quarters that saw a number of lead changes before Portland started to build a lead, the Slam trailed 90-80.
But heading into the fourth quarter, the official scorer notified the game officials of a discrepancy in the score book which differed from the statistics being kept by Bellingham and Portland's scorers. The officials declared the score book to be correct and adjusted the score to 85-82, with Portland still leading, heading into the final frame.
Perhaps stunned by the change in score, the Chinooks' offense went cold as the Slam defense held them without a field goal through the first five-plus minutes, allowing the Slam to take the lead and eventually control of the game. A 9-2 Bellingham run in the final two minutes sealed Portland's fate. Due to the scoring discrepancy, Portland lodged an official protest immediately following the game. The IBL's commissioner will review the matter and make an official decision regarding the outcome at a later date.
Bellingham (3-1) was led in scoring by guard Jacob Stevenson, who continued his hot start to the season with 24 points. For Portland, forwards Jason Hartford, Germain Jordan and Jared Cunningham shared the team scoring lead with 20 points each.
The Slam wrap up their two-game Oregon road trip with a game against the Salem Sabres on Saturday, before returning to Bellingham to face the Japan Tornadoes on May 10. A 7 p.m. tip-off is scheduled at Whatcom Pavilion.
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 May 3, 2013
- Slam Win in Portland Marred by Controversial Finish - Bellingham Slam
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