Sports stats



Sound Heard in Home Opener, 104-96

November 12, 2007 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Strong Island Sound News Release


Selden, NY- Getting double-digit scoring from seven different players, the Strong Island Sound pulled away from the First State Fusion in the second half to sweep the home-at-home series. Strong Island came away with a 104-96 win at Suffolk Community College on Sunday night in the team's 2007-08 home opener after winning by 17 points two days earlier in Delaware.

Gordon Malone had another strong outing and led the Sound (2-1) with 18 points on 8 for 15 shooting and John "Mookie" Thomas had 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals in his second game with the team after returning from playing in France. On a night where the Sound only shot 41 percent as a team from the field, defense was a priority, which did not go unnoticed by winning head coach Dytanya Mixson.

"It was a total team effort on defense," he said. "It was a night where we couldn't throw the ball in the basket, but the defense stepped it up."

In the early going, the Sound were hurting themselves by not taking advantage of the high number of team fouls on First State (0-2), shooting only 56 percent from the free throw line in the first half. Strong Island had a low field goal percentage of 37 percent after two quarters, but still held a 48-44 lead at halftime. Lance Hazel kept the Fusion close using his speed and explosiveness for 10 first half points.

The expansion club from Delaware was able to knot things up at 65 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Robert Haney (5 points, 3 rebounds) hit a shot from beyond the arc with the 3-D rule in effect, good for four points. Raphael Edwards then scored three of his 13 points on a conventional three-point play to give the Sound the lead for good.

Rookie Jenar Harrison put the Sound up by 11 within the first two minutes of the fourth quarter and had an overall solid game with 13 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes. The Sound's other Harrison, Donald, shook off some early rust to put the game away in the last five minutes. "Spyder" had 12 points and was effective on the offensive boards with 4 (8 total) down the stretch. Playing an effective inside-out game, the Sound were able to take advantage of their size and skill in their frontcourt.

"We have five big men that can score inside," said Mixson. "We're going to concentrate on that so we can then open the wing game more."

The Sound used their entire roster in the win, and having a strong bench will go a long way in helping the team stay on the winning track. "We have 12 deep," Mixson said. "Any 12 can start. As long as we play defense, no matter how bad we shoot, we're going to score."

"With me coming off the bench, all they're telling me is to shoot," said Sean Dantzler, who drilled two three-pointers halfway through the fourth quarter on his way to 11 points. "Come off those screens and shoot, and that's what I do."

The Sound will play two home games next weekend, starting with a rematch against the Westchester Phantoms and their head coach Theresa Weatherspoon, the former New York Liberty star, on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. On Sunday, the Jersey Express come in for a 4:15 p.m. matinee at Suffolk Community College in Selden.

Tickets are available at the door and by visiting www.strongislandsound.com.

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.

• Discuss this story on the American Basketball Association message board...

American Basketball Association Stories from November 12, 2007


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.

Other Recent Strong Island Sound Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central