Sound Season Ends in Second Round of ABA Playoffs

March 18, 2007 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Strong Island Sound News Release


Barre, VT- Tyrone Levett scored 23 points in leading the Vermont Frost Heaves to a 103-75 victory over the Strong Island Sound at the Aud in the second round of the ABA playoffs. With the win, the Frost Heaves will host the Bellingham Slam on Wednesday. Strong Island's season has come to an end after a successful campaign with 20 regular season wins and a first round playoff win on the road.

The Sound were barely 16 hours removed from their 108-97 victory at Quebec City when the opening tip in Vermont took place. They found themselves down in the first quarter before going on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 16. Vermont hit a three-pointer, and Aaron Williams (9 points) answered with his own. After getting a stop, Strong Island went down the court and Raphael Edwards found Miguel 'Slim' Milliem open for the slam. Williams then grabbed the rebound after another stop and went coast to coast to knot things up. Vermont controlled the last minute of the quarter and led after one, 21-18.

Fatigue seemed to set in for the Sound and the long travel to both road playoff games started to take its effect. Halfway through the second quarter, Vermont led by only four points. They then went on a 21-7 run that gave them a 20-point cushion at halftime. The Frost Heaves, 30-6 in the regular season and ranked number one in the final ABA Power Rankings, controlled the game in the paint and were lethal in transition. Having a first-round bye, the Frost Heaves had a whole week of rest and the difference showed. Strong Island committed five more turnovers and had 14 less rebounds.

The game opened up when Levett converted the conventional three-point play with 4:40 remaining in the second quarter to put Vermont up by a score of 39-28. A short time later, Sean Dantzler was rejected by Tyrone Barley (6 points), which led to a Vermont score on a three-on-one fast break, widening the lead to 15. The Frost Heaves outscored the Sound in the second quarter 33-16 to make it a 54-34 game after two.

The Sound had a window of opportunity to get back in the game in the third quarter when the Frost Heaves lost their touch. But Strong Island were having trouble hitting from the outside. Vermont was able to get to every contested rebound and did not give Strong Island any second chances. Raphael Edwards was the Sound's only inside threat and had a double double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The big forward also had six assists and two steals.

Greg Plummer (15 points) converted on a four-point play with 1:06 left in the third quarter to make the score 74-49. The guard out of Eckerd College hit a three-pointer and was fouled, and sank the free throw. Unfortunately it was the last points on the season for the Sound's All-Star rep, who was fouled hard in the first minute of the fourth quarter by Markus Austin. A physical altercation ensued and both players were ejected. The score at the time was 76-53, and it did not help the Sound to lose their leading scorer.

As the lead grew to 30, the sell-out crowd grew in even louder in anticipation of the first-year Frost Heaves' inaugural playoff win. When the final buzzer sounded, they gave their team an ovation and will let themselves be heard in the next game.

The Sound ended a successful season and finished with four more regular season wins than they had in 2005-06. They were unable to duplicate their playoff run last season when they won their first three games before being knocked out in the Final Four. At the Great 8 in Rochester, they bounced the top ranked team, the Indiana Alley Cats, in double overtime. They were unable to send home the number one seed this season, but played hard all season under first-year head coach Dytanya Mixson.

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.



American Basketball Association Stories from March 18, 2007


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